PRINTER'S NO. 2297
No. 255 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY PETRONE, HENNESSEY, DeWEESE, FICHTER, JAMES,
DONATUCCI, COSTA, FREEMAN, BEBKO-JONES, CRUZ, WOJNAROSKI,
BARRAR, WASHINGTON, READSHAW, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN,
CALTAGIRONE, GEORGE, HERSHEY, YOUNGBLOOD, SOLOBAY, CREIGHTON,
TRAVAGLIO, SHANER, STABACK, BELARDI, SURRA, FRANKEL, BROWNE,
JOSEPHS, FORCIER, LYNCH, SCHULER, TRICH, BUNT, DALEY, HERMAN,
COY, WATSON, FEESE, ROBINSON, MELIO, LEVDANSKY, MARKOSEK,
ALLEN, THOMAS, C. WILLIAMS, TIGUE, ROONEY, PALLONE, CAPPELLI,
CURRY, BELFANTI, KELLER, LESCOVITZ, SATHER, CIVERA, WANSACZ,
PISTELLA, HARHAI, YUDICHAK, E. Z. TAYLOR, SAINATO, COLAFELLA,
CORRIGAN, McCALL, GRUCELA AND J. WILLIAMS, JUNE 19, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
JUNE 19, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass Senate
2 Bill No. 548 to provide enhanced reimbursements for and
3 expanded capacity to mammography services under the Medicare
4 program.
5 WHEREAS, The mammogram is the medical standard in early
6 breast cancer detection, reducing mortality due to breast cancer
7 by at least 30%; and
8 WHEREAS, In the past year and a half, low Medicare and
9 private insurance reimbursement rates for mammograms have
10 contributed to a crisis in mammography; and
11 WHEREAS, The average cost of a mammogram is between $90 and
12 $100 and Medicare only reimburses $69 for the procedure; and
13 WHEREAS, The private insurance reimbursement is between $50
14 and $60; and
1 WHEREAS, As payments from the Medicare program have not kept
2 pace with rising health care costs, hundreds of radiology
3 clinics have been forced to close their doors and radiologists
4 have been unable to provide mammography services because health
5 care providers are not adequately reimbursed; and
6 WHEREAS, The current mammography crisis is causing an
7 increasing shortage of qualified radiologists to administer
8 mammograms; and
9 WHEREAS, United States Senators Tom Harkin and Olympia Snowe
10 introduced Senate Bill No. 548, which would be known as the
11 Assure Access to Mammography Act; and
12 WHEREAS, Senate Bill No. 548 would increase:
13 (1) The reimbursement rate of mammography services under
14 the Medicare program to $90.
15 (2) The Medicare graduate medical education funding for
16 added radiology residency slots, some of which are required
17 to specialize in mammography.
18 (3) The funding for allied health profession loan
19 programs in order to increase the supply of qualified
20 radiological technicians available to conduct mammograms;
21 therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
23 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of the
24 United States to pass Senate Bill No. 548 to provide enhanced
25 reimbursements for and expanded capacity to mammography services
26 under the Medicare program; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
28 the President of the United States, the Secretary of Health and
29 Human Services, the presiding officers of each house of Congress
30 and to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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