PRINTER'S NO. 4091
No. 609 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, HERMAN, SATHER, HESS, FAIRCHILD,
O'BRIEN AND BASTIAN, OCTOBER 11, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
OCTOBER 11, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing The Congress of the United States to address the
2 systemic problems developing in the Medicare+Choice program
3 for the purpose of stemming the exodus of HMOs participating
4 in the program.
5 WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States created the
6 Medicare+Choice program under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, The intent of Congress in creating Medicare+Choice
9 was to allow beneficiaries to have access to a wide array of
10 private health plan choices in addition to traditional fee-for-
11 service Medicare; and
12 WHEREAS, At the end of 1999, more than 560,000 Pennsylvanians
13 were enrolled in a Medicare HMO; and
14 WHEREAS, In late July 2000, the Health Care Financing
15 Administration (HCFA) released information on Medicare HMO
16 contract renewals, service area reductions and terminations; and
17 WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, these changes will affect
18 approximately 90,000 beneficiaries Statewide; and
1 WHEREAS, Almost 15,000 of these individuals must return to
2 the Medicare fee-for-service program since there is no other
3 Medicare HMO available in their county of residence; and
4 WHEREAS, Given the losses Medicare HMOs have experienced over
5 the past several years, the number of HMOs serving Medicare
6 beneficiaries continues to decline; and
7 WHEREAS, The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC)
8 does not support raising the Medicare+Choice floor payment rate
9 to slow the rate of health plan departures from the program; and
10 WHEREAS, Medicare+Choice plans are not receiving adequate
11 resources to provide beneficiaries the benefits they need and
12 deserve; and
13 WHEREAS, Medicare beneficiaries value the high quality,
14 affordable health care coverage they receive through
15 Medicare+Choice plans; therefore be it
16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize
17 Congress to enact legislation which strengthens the
18 Medicare+Choice program by reducing administrative requirements
19 in the program, increasing payment rates to HMOs to a level
20 which accurately reflects the costs of providing benefits to
21 recipients in the program and providing for prescription drug
22 coverage; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
24 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
25 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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