July 13, 2001

Teaching Hospital Leaders Appeal to Congress

Eighty teaching hospital and medical school leaders from 19 states and the District of Columbia came to Washington July 11 to urge Congress to pass "The American Hospital Preservation Act." Teaching hospital and medical school leaders told their legislators that teaching hospitals need adequate Medicare payments to help keep pace with rising wages, benefits and other patient care costs.

At a morning session of political and legislative briefings sponsored by the AAMC and the American Hospital Association, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) urged the attendees to secure additional Congressional cosponsors for legislation (S. 839) sponsored by her and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). "The American Hospital Preservation Act," also introduced in the House (H.R. 1556) by Reps. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and Richard Neal (D-Mass.), would provide a full inflation update to Medicare inpatient service payments in FYs 2002 and 2003 and maintain Medicare Indirect Medical Education payments at current levels.

"I have no higher priority than making sure that our teaching hospitals are doing the job of not only serving patients, but also teaching those who will come into the health care profession and keep it as strong as it is today," said Hutchison. "I look forward to having a number of Senate staff call my office this week and say 'sign me up'" [for the legislation]. Currently, S. 839 has 24 cosponsors; H.R. 1556 has 94 cosponsors.

After the morning session, teaching hospital and medical school representatives hit Capitol Hill to meet with their representatives and senators. A number of meetings took place with members of the House and Senate leadership, as well as members of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees.

Information: Lynne L. Davis, AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0526.