House Concurrent Resolution 14

PAG LIN

  1  1          HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___
  1  2  BY  HOGG, DANDEKAR, RASMUSSEN, MURPHY, WENDT, HUNTER,
  1  3    WHITEAD, CONNORS, FALLON, OLDSON, FREVERT, MERTZ,
  1  4  MILLER, KUHN, WILDERDYKE, STRUYK, WINCKLER, LENSING,
  1  5  HEDDENS, SCHICKEL, WHITAKER, D. OLSON, SMITH, SWAIM,
  1  6           GASKILL, FOEGE, MASCHER, and MYERS
  1  7 A Concurrent Resolution relating to federal Medicare
  1  8    program reimbursement.
  1  9    WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Medicare and
  1 10 Medicaid Services of the United States Department of
  1 11 Health and Human Services, the federal Medicare
  1 12 program reimbursement to Iowa hospitals was the lowest
  1 13 of all states in 2001 with an average per enrollee
  1 14 reimbursement amount of $3,414, which was 57 percent
  1 15 of the national average of $5,994; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, Louisiana received the highest average per
  1 17 enrollee reimbursement amount under the federal
  1 18 Medicare program in 2001 of $8,099, which was 137
  1 19 percent higher than Iowa's average per enrollee
  1 20 reimbursement amount; and
  1 21    WHEREAS, the average per enrollee reimbursement
  1 22 amount under the federal Medicare program among the
  1 23 six states that border Iowa was $5,116 in 2001, which
  1 24 was 50 percent higher than Iowa's average
  1 25 reimbursement amount; and
  1 26    WHEREAS, the quality of care provided by Iowa's
  1 27 hospitals is ranked among the best in the nation; and
  1 28    WHEREAS, health facilities are highly dependent
  1 29 upon the reimbursement levels established by the
  1 30 centers for Medicare and Medicaid of the United States
  2  1 Department of Health and Human Services; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, the low reimbursement provided under the
  2  3 federal Medicare program to Iowa hospitals has a
  2  4 widespread effect on the entire economy of Iowa and
  2  5 creates a competitive disadvantage for Iowa especially
  2  6 compared with bordering states; and
  2  7    WHEREAS, Iowa has a respected and influential
  2  8 Congressional delegation including Senator Charles
  2  9 Grassley, who serves as chairman of the United States
  2 10 Senate Finance Committee, and Representative Jim
  2 11 Nussle, who serves as chairman of the United States
  2 12 House Budget Committee; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 13    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
  2 14 SENATE CONCURRING, That the General Assembly
  2 15 encourages Iowa's congressional delegation to work
  2 16 together to substantially increase the federal
  2 17 Medicare reimbursement rate to Iowa health care
  2 18 providers to ensure that the reimbursement rate is at
  2 19 least the same as the average reimbursement rate to
  2 20 the six states that surround Iowa; and
  2 21    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
  2 22 Resolution be sent by the Chief Clerk of the House of
  2 23 Representatives to the President of the United States,
  2 24 the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker
  2 25 of the United States House of Representatives, and to
  2 26 all members of Iowa's congressional delegation.
  2 27 LSB 2218HH 80
  2 28 pf/sh/8