PRINTER'S NO. 4519
No. 722 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, BELFANTI, CAPPELLI, CORRIGAN, DeLUCA,
D. EVANS, FICHTER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HERSHEY, HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN,
LESCOVITZ, LEVDANSKY, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McNAUGHTON, MELIO,
MUNDY, MYERS, PISTELLA, RUBLEY, SCHULER, SHANER, STABACK,
STURLA, SURRA, THOMAS, TIGUE, WANSACZ, J. WILLIAMS,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, OCTOBER 23, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
OCTOBER 23, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the President and the Congress of the United
2 States to take action to increase Medicare benefits and curb
3 Medicare insurance rates.
4 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's senior citizens are facing numerous
5 challenges that could threaten their ability to receive
6 accessible and affordable health care; and
7 WHEREAS, Some insurance companies that offer Medicare
8 supplemental coverage in Pennsylvania have announced rate
9 increases for senior citizens as high as 200% starting January
10 1, 2003; and
11 WHEREAS, Many insurance companies have already dropped
12 Medicare supplemental coverage, leaving millions of seniors in
13 Pennsylvania with limited or no options for costs not covered by
14 Medicare; and
15 WHEREAS, The Bush administration is proposing deep reductions
1 in Medicare reimbursements for a wide range of drugs and medical
2 devices necessary to treat senior citizens; and
3 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania continues to pay for prescription
4 coverage for many senior citizens through the Pharmaceutical
5 Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program that could be
6 covered by Federal dollars if the Federal Government would enact
7 prescription coverage through Medicare; and
8 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
9 Pennsylvania is significantly concerned about these upcoming
10 challenges to senior health care in this Commonwealth; and
11 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is troubled about the
12 potential adverse impact of these changes on senior citizens and
13 our health care delivery systems in urban, rural and suburban
14 areas; therefore be it
15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
16 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the President and the
17 Pennsylvania congressional delegation not to permit the
18 substantial cuts in Medicare reimbursements to Pennsylvania's
19 health care providers as proposed by the Bush administration;
20 and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives call on the
22 President and the Congress of the United States to take the lead
23 in curbing rapidly rising Medicare insurance rates for our
24 senior citizens; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
26 President and the Congress to determine a way to offer more
27 options to supplement Medicare in rural, urban and suburban
28 regions of this Commonwealth; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the
30 President and the Congress to add prescription drug coverage to
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1 Medicare to assist this Commonwealth in its efforts to aid
2 seniors through its PACE program; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
4 the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
5 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
6 Pennsylvania.
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