Back to Front PageVOLUME 6, NUMBER 4
 

 

Sen. James M. Jeffords (R-Vt.) Chair, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

With the shift toward consumer-oriented health care and the powerful impact of technology, especially the Internet, we are experiencing a period of tumultuous change in our nation’s health care delivery system. Due to these developments, the 107th Congress has not only unresolved health measures from the previous Congress but also emerging issues to address.

The nation’s number one health care priorities are to provide prescription drug coverage for seniors and make Medicare more financially sound. There is no reason for Medicare to reimburse hospitals for surgery but not to provide the drugs that might prevent surgery. We have a projected $3.1 trillion budget surplus — more than enough money for the creation of a Medicare prescription drug benefit. The time is right, and I intend to work with the other members of the Senate Finance Committee to get the job done.

Another issue that merits early action is a patients’ bill of rights. With both the House and Senate passing bills during the last Congress, we came closer than ever before to enacting managed care reform. I believe the president is providing the necessary leadership to bring Republicans and Democrats to the table to develop a bill that will provide meaningful protections for all Americans without causing employers to drop health insurance coverage.

The 107th Congress must also address the question of how best to expand coverage to the uninsured. Today, there are 43 million Americans with no health insurance, and health care premiums continue to increase. For the third year in a row, U.S. employers can count on average increases of 10 to 13 percent. Historically, premium increases have caused more people to become uninsured, and I am very concerned about these cost trends.

To help those without insurance obtain needed care, Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and I have reintroduced an amended version of the Health CARE Act. The act would provide a refundable tax credit or advance a voucher of $2,500 to low- and moderate-income families who do not have health insurance. It also contains new tax refundable credits to improve the health insurance enrollment rate for low-income workers.

In addition, I believe Congress should expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), so that parents of children covered under this program are eligible for health insurance. We also must find ways to ensure that all eligible children are enrolled in current SCHIP programs and to give states greater flexibility in the design and administration of their programs.

While our health care system works well for many, there are some Americans who fall through the cracks. Two key safety net programs under the jurisdiction of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee are up for reauthorization: Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps. I am working with Sens. William Frist (R-Tenn.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to strengthen these valuable programs. Fortunately, there is strong bipartisan support for their reauthorization, and I expect a successful process.

Another key legislative priority for my committee is patient safety. The Institute of Medicine report "To Err Is Human" stimulated a flurry of activity in the public and private sectors around increasing patient safety. The report called on Congress to establish a Center for Patient Safety at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. It also recommended that Congress provide peer review protections for those who report medical errors. Experts at our four hearings on medical errors all agreed that this protection is key to encouraging disclosure. We need to change the culture of our health care system from a culture of secrecy to a culture of safety.

I am working closely with Sens. Kennedy and Frist to develop legislation that will address these issues and support the voluntary collection and dissemination of information to prevent medical errors. I am optimistic that we will soon come to an agreement on this vital legislation.

Medical records privacy is yet another important health policy challenge. We worked hard in the last Congress to develop a bipartisan approach to privacy legislation. Unfortunately, some issues remained unresolved. In the absence of any congressional action, HHS developed regulations addressing medical records privacy. Our committee has held an oversight hearing on the final rule to determine if additional action is necessary. The committee will consider carefully the testimony offered by G. Richard Smith Jr., M.D., who testified on behalf of the AAMC, and others at the hearing.

Lastly, I will work to provide regulatory relief for our nation’s health care professionals, including those at academic health centers, to allow physicians to spend more time caring for their patients and teaching and less time filling out unnecessary paperwork.

I hear from Vermont’s only academic health center, Fletcher Allen Health Care, that the Health Care Financing Administration’s (HCFA) rules for teaching physicians’ documentation compliance are overly burdensome. Last year, I joined with Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Ark.) to sponsor legislation to reform HCFA’s audit process to devote a greater share of appropriations to education for compliance rather than investigation and prosecution. I intend to continue these efforts this Congress.

What is unique in the area of health care is that we have bipartisan agreement that something should be done on all of these issues. The clear mandate for the 107th Congress is to seize the spirit of cooperation that currently exists and translate it into health care legislation that will be signed into law by President Bush.

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