[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13827]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         ENSURING QUALITY AND ACCESS TO CANCER CARE ACT OF 2004

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to bring attention to 
concerns related to cancer care reimbursement.
  Today, many oncology services are paid for through drug 
administration reimbursement because most are not covered by Medicare. 
These services include specially-trained oncology nurses and supportive 
care services important to performing first rate cancer care. Although 
the new Medicare law increases reimbursements to physicians and 
provides much needed compensation for oncology nursing, it reduces how 
much Medicare will reimburse for chemotherapy beginning in 2005. While 
I support the sound and innovative advancements the Medicare law 
provides, it is important not to jeopardize cancer care through 
decreases in reimbursements.
  Congress understood the impact the Medicare law would have on patient 
access and included a temporary one-year increase in physicians' 
practice expenses. However, this provision will expire in 2005 and 
could reduce access to care.
  The ``Ensuring Quality and Access to Cancer Care Act of 2004'' would 
extend the one-year transitional period already established in the law 
for an additional year. It allows a compromise so Congress has the time 
it needs to further debate this issue, ask important questions 
regarding the impact of payment reductions and better understand how 
Medicare should reimburse for services provided to cancer patients.

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