[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5286-S5288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DASCHLE (for Mr. Harkin (for himself and Mr. Craig):
  S. 2605. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
geographically adjust the amount of the Medicare part B premium based 
on the use of health care items and services in the State in which the 
Medicare beneficiary resides, and for purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)
 Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, there few programs that are more 
important to the health and quality of life of Americans than Medicare. 
It has been a godsend for millions of Americans. It deserves our strong 
support. We need to make sure that Medicare is strong, secure and 
improved for the future.
  The biggest gap in Medicare's coverage is it's lack of help with the 
high costs of prescription drugs. I feel strongly that we must move 
forward to provide seniors with an affordable, reliable Medicare 
prescription drug benefit this year. I call on our leadership to bring 
legislation to the floor so that we can provide seniors with much 
needed relief.
  Another area that is in urgent need of improvement is the fairness of 
the distribution of Medicare's payments and costs throughout the 
states. The Medicare program is placing seniors and health care 
providers in certain States at a severe disadvantage compared to other 
States. There are currently unjustifiable inequities in the system that 
affect the way in which both seniors and health care professionals are 
treated. Rather than rewarding States with healthy populations, that 
have efficient, high quality health care practices, and practice health 
care cost containment, the Medicare system is punishing these States.
  For example, seniors enrolled in the Medicare program pay monthly 
part B

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premiums of $54 across the United States. Medicare part B premiums are 
set by law to cover 25 percent of total national Part B spending 
regardless of where one lives or how many services one uses. However, 
data provided by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Medpac, 
shows that the amount of part B services seniors use state by state 
varies significantly, from 70 percent of the national average to 128 
percent of the national average. This is because in States like Iowa 
seniors lead healthier lifestyles and use fewer health care services 
and we have excellent health care providers who have always practiced 
efficient, conservative medicine. I believe that a health 
population, and an efficient health care system, should be rewarded 
under the Medicare program; however the system has been established to 
achieve quite the opposite.

  Not only do seniors in my State have higher Medicare part B premiums 
because of the higher number of services seniors receive in other 
states, health care providers in my State are receiving the lowest 
reimbursement levels in the country. Iowa health care providers receive 
$3,053 on average per beneficiary, while the national average is 
$5,490, and the highest state receives over $7,000 per beneficiary. 
Senator Craig and I, along with a host of our colleagues, have 
introduced a bipartisan bill called the Medicare Fairness in 
Reimbursement Act, S. 1020, that would reduce this unjustified 
disparity that serves to punish the health care providers in our states 
year after year. Under the FAIR Act, no state would be under 95 percent 
of the national average, and no state would be over 105 percent of the 
national average. A similar adjustment would be made for the part B 
geographic payment indices.
  We must work to alleviate the disparity that exists between states 
under the Medicare program, before we drive those states into a crisis. 
We can no longer ignore the direct and critical connection between 
provider reimbursement under the Medicare program, and access to high 
quality health care for our seniors.
  That is why today I am pleased to be joined by my colleague Senator 
Craig of Idaho in introducing legislation to increase fairness in 
Medicare part B premiums for seniors. Monthly Medicare premiums would 
be set at 25 percent of projected total Medicare Part B costs for each 
state, rather than nationally. For example, Minnesota seniors utilize 
the least amount of part B services, 70 percent of the national 
average. As a result, under our bill seniors in Minnesota would pay a 
monthly premium of $38, instead of the current national premium of $54. 
Seniors in my home State of Iowa use 75 percent of the national average 
of part B services, and therefore, under this bill they would pay a 
monthly premium of $41, rather than $54.
  Our legislation is budget neutral. It would simply set Medicare 
premiums based on state level costs rather than an aggregated national 
cost figure.
  It is common sense. If a person in Iowa goes out and buys car 
insurance, or health insurance for themselves, they will pay different 
premiums than someone buying insurance in New York or California. It's 
time for the Medicare program to stop punishing those States that have 
healthy seniors and efficient health care providers.
  We need to restore greater fairness in Medicare's payment among the 
50 States. However until we achieve greater equity, seniors in low cost 
States should not have to bear an unfair portion of health care costs. 
Senator Craig and I will be working to get this issue addressed as a 
part of Medicare reforms this year. I urge my colleagues to review this 
important new proposal and to join us in working to achieve its 
passage.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 2606. A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to establish a 
trade adjustment assistance program for certain service workers, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, today I am introducing legislation to 
make truckers eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance, TAA. A similar 
provision was in the original Finance Committee package of trade 
legislation that we recently considered in the Senate. Unfortunately, 
this provision was removed in last minute negotiations.
  Currently, Mexican trucks bring goods into the United States must 
transfer those goods to an American truck at the border. On June 30, 
2002, that will change. Mexican trucks will be allowed into the 
country, and as a result, hard-working Americans will lose their jobs. 
Future trade agreements may make the problem even greater. However, 
these laid-off truckers will not be eligible for TAA.
  TAA exists out of recognition that our decision on trade in 
Washington cause very specific groups of American workers to lose jobs. 
TAA provides those workers with the assistance they need to 
successfully transition to new jobs.
  New trade rules that allow foreign truckers to operate in the United 
States beginning June 30, 2002 will cause an American trucker to lose 
his or her job just as much as new trade rules cause a textile worker 
to lose his or her job. Providing TAA assistance to both of these 
groups of workers is right because neither lost their job through any 
fault of their own--both will have lost their job as a result of new 
rules we create in Washington.
  American union truck drivers are some of the hardest working and 
finest paid in the world. They make about $50,000 a year as a starting 
salary and receive great benefits. And nonunion drivers make $35,000 to 
$40,000 a year plus benefits. Compare these figures with the salaries 
of foreign truckers that will now operate in the United States or going 
to operate in the United States in the near future. Mexican drivers 
make dramatically less than American truckers, about $18,000 a year at 
best and few benefits. They are also allowed to drive recklessly long 
hours at that low pay. American truckers cannot compete with that. 
Those who lose their jobs as a result of this new competition allowed 
for by trade law should have access to TAA assistance.
  The legislation I am introducing will direct the Secretary of Labor 
to establish a program to provide TAA assistance to any domestic 
operator of a motor carrier who is adversely affected by competition 
from any foreign owned or operated motor carrier. The act also directs 
the Secretary of labor to report to Congress within 2 years on 
adversely affected service workers and recommend legislation that the 
Secretary considers appropriate for extending TAA to service workers as 
well.
  The TAA program will remain inadequate as long as any workers are 
losing jobs directly as a result of trade agreements and not getting 
the help they need to participate in the new economy. The trade debate 
has not adequately considered the fate of those who lose from trade. It 
is our responsibility to make sure that these hard-working Americans 
have a voice in this debate and that they and their families are able 
to reap the rewards of trade instead of just suffer its consequences.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2606

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the 
     Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002, the Secretary 
     shall establish a program to provide assistance under chapter 
     2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et 
     seq.), as amended by the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform 
     Act of 2002, to provide trade adjustment assistance to any 
     domestic operator of a motor carrier who is adversely 
     affected by competition from any foreign owned or operated 
     motor carrier.

     SEC. 2. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORT.

       (a) Data Collection System.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of enactment of the Trade Adjustment Assistance 
     Reform Act of 2002, the Secretary shall put in place a system 
     to collect data on adversely affected service workers that 
     includes the number of workers by State, industry, and cause 
     of dislocation for each worker.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 
     2002, the Secretary shall report to Congress proposed methods 
     to extend the programs under chapter 2 of title II of the 
     Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) to adversely 
     affected service workers. The report shall include any 
     recommendations for legislation that the Secretary considers 
     appropriate regarding such programs.

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     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Labor.
       (2) Trade adjustment assistance reform act of 2002.--The 
     term ``Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002'' means 
     the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002, or any 
     other Act enacted during the second session of the 107th 
     Congress to provide trade adjustment assistance.

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