— U.S. Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., shown talking
with constituents, has introduced the Medicare Durable Medical
Equipment Access Act of 2007 (H.R. 1845), a bill designed to
“assure access to durable medical equipment under the
Medicare program.”
Co-sponsored by Reps. David Hobson, R-Ohio, and Mike Ross, D-Ark.,
the proposed legislation is a new version of the Hobson-Tanner bill
introduced last year, which failed to make it through congressional
channels before the end of the term. To soften the effects of
competitive bidding, the proposed legisltion would allow any
qualified provider who has submitted a bid below the current
allowable to continue doing Medicare business. “We made a few
minor changes, but the bill is essentially the same as the one
submitted last year,” said Randy Ford, Tanner's
communications director. “Hopefully, this is the year we'll
have some legislative success with it.” According to the
American Association for Homecare, the bill “would correct
many of the worst provisions of the competitive bidding program by
preserving fair competition and access to care.” Those
members of the House of Representatives who supported last year's
measure are prime candidates for signing on to the new bill, the
association said. For a review of the bill, visit www.aahomecare.org.
Women are more likely than men to have problems accessing
health care because of cost.
Source: Commonwealth Fund
Bariatric surgery among teens in the U.S. tripled from just
over 200 procedures in 2000 to almost 800 procedures in
2003.
Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
17.2% Percentage of income older Americans spend for health
care, expected to hit 23.5% in 2030
Source: National Center for Policy Analysis
“After more than a decade on the back burner, America's
45 million uninsured are finally receiving the attention they
deserve.”
— Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., House Ways and Means Health
Subcommittee chair, on his introduction of The AmeriCare Health
Care Act, a universal health coverage bill, last month.
