South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

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Bill 4137


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4137
Type of Legislation:              Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  19990520
Primary Sponsor:                  Edge
All Sponsors:                     Edge and H. Brown
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\bbm\9362som99.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     19990622
Subject:                          Congress requests to revise Interim 
                                  Payment System and improve Medicare home 
                                  health care, Medical, beneficiaries


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   19990622  Received from Senate
Senate  19990622  Introduced, adopted, returned
                  with concurrence
House   19990603  Adopted, sent to Senate
House   19990602  Committee report: Favorable            24 HIMR
House   19990520  Introduced, referred to Committee      24 HIMR


                             Versions of This Bill
Revised on June 2, 1999 - Word format

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

COMMITTEE REPORT

June 2, 1999

H. 4137

Introduced by Reps. Edge and H. Brown

S. Printed 6/2/99--H.

Read the first time May 20, 1999.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON

INVITATIONS AND MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS

To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (H. 4137), memorializing the United States Congress to revise provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

RICHARD M. QUINN, JR., for Committee.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

MEMORIALIZING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO REVISE PROVISIONS OF THE BALANCED BUDGET ACT OF 1997 RELATED TO AN INTERIM PAYMENT SYSTEM AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES IN RULES FOR MEDICARE HOME HEALTH CARE BENEFICIARIES TO IMPROVE THEIR SITUATION.

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly is concerned about the health and well-being of our elderly and disabled residents who rely on the Medicare program to meet the cost of their health care needs; and

Whereas, South Carolina, like most other states, anticipates an increasing population of seniors, disabled persons, and others requiring health care services; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly recognizes that our residents should have access to high quality, cost effective home health care services through the Medicare program wherever feasible and justified; and

Whereas, the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 included significant Medicare payment reforms affecting coverage in payment of home health services which create significant risks that access to Medicare home health services will be diminished or eliminated because these payment reforms base payment rates on 1994 levels of care, fail to recognize changes in health care needs and services since 1994, and fail to adequately account for the wide variation in care needs of individual patients; and

Whereas, Medicare beneficiaries who need care the most and who are at the greatest risk for cutbacks are being denied access to care as the result of these payment reforms which discourage home health care agencies caring for patients with high-care needs that have high costs; and

Whereas, the cutback of home health services will lead to increased use of more costly settings like emergency rooms, hospitals, and nursing homes; and

Whereas, home health agencies are an important source of employment in South Carolina communities, and cuts required under the new Medicare payment system will lead to the loss of employment by our citizens; and

Whereas, Medicare home health cuts will likely shift service needs and costs to state Medicaid programs, especially nursing home care, resulting in an unfunded mandate to South Carolina; and

Whereas, the portion of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 calling for an Interim Payment System was based on financial projections which overestimated the continued growth of home health care; and

Whereas, the Interim Payment System provisions are not needed to slow the growth of home health care; and

Whereas, Congress and the Administration should work jointly to develop the necessary amendments to the Interim Payment System so that services to Medicare home health care beneficiaries are not disrupted, interrupted, or eliminated. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That, by this resolution, the South Carolina General Assembly memorializes the United States Congress to revise provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 relating to the Interim Payment System and to provide for the development of certain amendments or changes in rules for Medicare home health care beneficiaries to improve their situation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to each member of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, and Donna Shalala, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

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