[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9514-S9515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. Bingaman):
  S. 1593. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
enhance the access of Medicare beneficiaries who live in medically 
underserved areas to critical primary and preventive health care 
benefits at Federally qualified health centers; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Medicare 
Payment Adjustment To Community Health Centers, PATCH, Act of 2005. I 
am particularly pleased to introduce this bill with my good friend and 
colleague, Senator Bingaman. Two years ago we introduced a more 
comprehensive version of this legislation, S. 654. I am happy to report 
that many of the provisions in S. 654 were included in the Medicare 
Modernization Act of 2003. The bill I am introducing today reflects two 
key provisions which remain the priorities of our community health 
centers.
  This legislation will improve Medicare beneficiaries' access to 
primary care services and preventive treatments by increasing access to 
Community Health Centers. Local, non-profit, commnnity-owned health 
centers, also known as Federally Qualified Health Center, FCHQs, 
furnish essential primary and preventive care services to low income 
and medically underserved communities. In many cases, community health 
centers are the only source of primary and preventive services to which 
Medicare beneficiaries have access. This is especially true for people 
living in America's medically underserved rural areas.
  For nearly 40 years, the national network of health centers has 
provided high-quality, affordable primary care and preventive services. 
Community health centers are located in areas where care is needed but 
scarce, and they improve access to care for millions of Americans 
regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Their costs of 
care rank among the lowest, and they reduce the need for more expensive 
emergency, in-patient, and specialty care, saving billions for dollars 
for taxpayers.
  Community health centers are increasingly becoming important 
providers of primary care and prevent1ve services to seniors--as well 
as providers of on-site dental, pharmaceu ical, and mental health 
services. In short, community health centers provide the ease of ``one-
stop health care shopping,'' meaning that seniors, instead of moving 
from location to location to receive comprehensive primary hearh 
services, can usually receive all of their essential primary care in 
one place.
  The PATCH Act will ensure that community health centers can fully 
participate in the Medicare program and provide seniors with these 
vital services. Ensuring that Medicare pays its fair share is important 
to the stability of community health centers. While 17 percent of 
health center patients in Maine are Medicare beneficiaries, the 
Medicare program pays only 78 cents on the dollar for the health center 
costs incurred in delivering comprehensive primary care services to 
them. For health centers to remain a viable part of the health care 
delivery system, we must make changes.
  Over the last 15 years, Congress has made many improvements to the 
Medicare program through the addition of new primary and preventive 
benefits, including screening mammograms, pap smears, colorectal and 
prostate cancer screenings, flu and pneumococcal vaccinations, bone 
mass measurement, and glucose monitoring and nutrition therapy for 
diabetics. However, Congress has not updated the Medicare law to add 
these crucial services to the health center reimbursement package, so 
health centers are denied payment for these services when provided to 
Medicare beneficiaries. This lack of reimbursement has caused 
significant losses for health centers every time they deliver these 
services to Medicare patients. Our bill will add these essential 
services to the health center package of benefits so that they can 
receive payment for these services.
  The Medicare law has also neglected to include health care for the 
homeless grantees as Federal qualified health centers. The bill would 
also restore these centers for recognition within the Medicare statute. 
Our legislation is strongly supported by the National Association of 
Community Health Centers, and I ask unanimous consent that their letter 
of support be printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.

[[Page S9515]]

  The PATCH Act makes these two technical and straightforward changes 
to the Medicare program to ensure that Community Health Centers can 
fully participate in Medicare and provide seniors with these vital 
primary and preventive services. These changes are vitally important in 
my state of Maine and also to health centers throughout our nation. By 
making these two straightforward changes, we will be able to enhance 
the care that all Medicare beneficiaries receive, especially those 
living in rural and medically underserved communities. I urge my 
colleagues to cosponsor the bill.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                           National Association of


                               Community Health Centers, Inc.,

                                    Washington, DC, July 29, 2005.
     Hon. Olympia Snowe,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Snowe: On behalf of the National Association 
     of Community Health Centers (NACHC), I am writing to express 
     our support for your bill, the Medicare Payment Adjustment to 
     Community Health Centers (PATCH) Act of 2005. We sincerely 
     appreciate your continued commitment to improve the Medicare 
     program for all health centers.
       Community health centers are local, non-profit, community-
     oriented health care providers serving low income and 
     medically underserved communities. For nearly 40 years, the 
     national network of health centers has provided high-quality, 
     affordable primary care and preventive services, and often 
     provide on-site dental, pharmaceutical, mental health and 
     substance abuse services. America's health centers provide 
     care to nearly one million Medicare beneficiaries; furnishing 
     essential primary and preventive care services in underserved 
     areas of the country. Health centers provide ``one-stop 
     health care,'' allowing seniors to receive all of their 
     essential primary care in one convenient location.
       Over the last 15 years, Congress has made many improvements 
     to the Medicare program through the addition of new primary 
     and preventive benefits, including: screening mammograms, pap 
     smears, colorectal & prostate cancer screenings, flu/
     pneumococcal vaccinations, glucose monitoring and self 
     management training for diabetics, bone mass measurement, and 
     medical nutrition therapy for diabetics. Unfortunately, 
     Congress did not update the Medicare law to add these vital 
     services to the health center reimbursement package, thus 
     denying health centers payment for these services when 
     provided to Medicare beneficiaries. This lack of 
     reimbursement has caused significant losses for health 
     centers every time they deliver these services to Medicare 
     patients, even though it was the clear intent of Congress to 
     cover these services for all beneficiaries.
       Health Centers are pleased that your bill remedies this 
     issue by updating the Medicare law to add these essential 
     services to the health center package of benefits. We 
     strongly believe that this will allow health centers to build 
     on their record of providing quality care to seniors.
       We also are appreciative that your legislation would 
     correct a long-standing oversight relating to Health Care for 
     the Homeless grantees. Your legislation would ensure that the 
     original intent of Congress was reflected in the law.
       Thank you for your leadership in addressing these critical 
     issues and we stand ready to assist you in your efforts to 
     enact this important legislation.
           Sincerely,

                                        Daniel R. Hawkins, Jr.

                                Vice President for Federal, State,
                                               and Public Affairs.
                                 ______