Hopes for Pre-Election Provider
Bill Fade
October 18, 2002-Despite Sen. Max Baucus's (D-Mont.)
second attempt to bring his and Sen. Charles Grassley's (R-Iowa)
provider legislation, S.
3018, to the Senate floor Oct. 17 under unanimous consent,
Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) continued to object, preventing
the bill from being considered. With Congress Oct. 17 passing
a continuing funding resolution until Nov. 22 (see related
story), it appears unlikely that Congress will pass provider
legislation before the election.
Sen. Baucus first tried to bring S. 3018 to the Senate floor
under unanimous consent Oct. 4 when Nickles objected [see
Washington Highlights, Oct.
11]. The senators' exchange Oct. 17 surrounded Sen. Nickles'
desire to refer the bill to the Finance Committee to allow
members to amend the bill. "I would like to offer an
amendment. I know Senator Snowe has an amendment she would
like to offer. Senator Sessions has an amendment he would
like to offer, or myself or someone else on the committee
to offer on his behalf."
Sen. Baucus replied that the limited days remaining in the
session, "we should pass this bill now." Referring
to Senate's inability in July to agree on a prescription drug
benefit [see Washington Highlights,
July 19], Sen. Baucus said, "any attempt to refer
legislation back to a committee for the purpose of offering
amendments is really a veto tactic…. As the Senator well
knows, the amendments he is thinking will not pass the Finance
Committee, will not pass the floor and will have the effect
of preventing the Medicare provider bill from being enacted."
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Harry
Reid (D-Nev.), John Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.),
Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.), and Bill Nelson (D-Neb.) also rose in
support of proceeding with S. 3018.
Stated Sen. Hatch, "I believe that passage of S. 3018,
the Beneficiary Access to Care and Medicare Equity Act, is
critical for both Medicare providers and beneficiaries. This
legislation, while not perfect, will provide access to quality
and affordable health care to Medicare beneficiaries across
the country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and
in my opinion, we must pass this legislation before we adjourn.
Partisan politics needs to be put aside because this issue
is much too important to both Medicare beneficiaries and providers.
Medicare providers, and most importantly, the beneficiaries
they serve, are depending on us to get this job done, once
and for all. Let's not let them down."
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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