[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 133 (Thursday, September 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 1, MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND 
                       MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2003

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of Representative 
Kind's Motion to Instruct on the Medicare prescription drugs bill.
  The Medicare program presently contains payment disparities that are 
biased against rural areas such as Northern Michigan, which I 
represent.
  This language instructs the Medicare prescription drug bill conferees 
to address the inequities that cause many of the providers in Northern 
Michigan to be paid significantly less than our urban counterparts for 
the same services.
  This problem puts our health providers at a severe disadvantage and 
adversely affects seniors' access to quality health care in our 
communities.
  As a Member of the bipartisan House Rural Health Care Coalition, I 
insist that the conferees and the President pay close attention to the 
rural Medicare fix that is outlined in both this motion and the letters 
sent by our Coalition to the conferees and the President.
  As I've mentioned over and over, rural seniors are generally older, 
sicker, and poorer than those in non-rural areas.
  Why we would turn our backs on the seniors who most need our help is 
beyond me.
  The Kind motion instructs the conferees to select the essential rural 
provisions from the House and Senate Medicare bills and ensures that 
rural beneficiaries and providers are not left behind.

                          ____________________