E1560 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 19, 2012 

be used as potential biothreat agents. The 

antibody was successfully used, through compassionate use exception, to save the lives of 

three individuals with significant exposure to 

the Hendra virus. 

Brigadier-General (Dr.) Jean-Robert Bernier, 

Canadian Defence Force, a 1997 graduate of 

USU’s Master of Public Health degree program, was sworn in as the Surgeon General 

of Canada in July 2012. 

The USU Graduate School of Nursing has 

conferred more than 600 master’s degrees 

since its founding in 1993 and 15 doctorates 

since opening its Ph.D. program in 2003. 

These men and women serve in uniformed 

and federal services at home and abroad. 

They also work with the school’s faculty to 

conduct research. 

Air Force Capt. Jennifer Curtis, who graduated from USU’s Family Nurse Practitioner 

program, Graduate School of Nursing, in 

2009, was awarded the Bronze Star and other 

decorations for her heroic lifesaving actions of 

six soldiers while under fire in Afghanistan 

during her very first deployment. 

In addition to its world-class educational 

programs, USU is dedicated to innovative research in military medicine, nursing and oral 

health as well as public health. Its research 

programs, devoted to preventive medicine, infectious disease, prosthetics, traumatic brain 

injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, are 

relevant both locally and globally. 

The civilian members of USU’s Board of Regents are appointed by the Secretary of Defense. They are prominent leaders in health 

care, higher education and public policy from 

across the country. Current members include: 

Otis Brawley, M.D., Chief Medical Officer 

and Executive Vice President, American Cancer Society 

Sheila Burke, Senior Policy Analyst at Baker 

Donelson and former Under Secretary of the 

Smithsonian Institution 

General (Ret.) Ronald Griffith, former Vice 

Chief of Staff of the Army 

Michael Johns, M.D., Chancellor of Emory 

University 

Haile Debas, M.D., Executive Director of 

Global Health Sciences at the University of 

California, San Francisco 

Kenneth Moritsugu, M.D., Vice President, 

Global Strategic Affairs for LifeScan, Inc., 

former Deputy Surgeon General of the United 

States 

Gail Wilensky, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at 

Project HOPE and former Administrator of the 

Health Care Financing Administration 

Ronald Blanck, D.O., Chairman and Partner 

of Martin, Blanck & Associates, former Army 

Surgeon General, and former President of the 

University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. Dr. Blanck serves as Chair 

of USU’s Board of Regents. 

Ex-officio members of the Board include: 

Dr. Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary 

of Defense for Health Affairs 

Lt. General Patricia Horoho, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army 

Vice Admiral Matthew Nathan, Surgeon 

General of the U.S. Navy 

Lt. General Thomas Travis, Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force 

Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin, Surgeon 

General of the United States 

Dr. Charles L. Rice, President of the Uniformed Services University 

The Board members’ experience, knowledge and ideas will enable USU to continue 

its fine tradition of making significant contributions to military medicine and public health, 

helping to create a stronger, more effective 

military and federal health system in service to 

our nation and the global community. 

Our nation is fortunate that USU fulfills well 

its mission of educating future generations of 

military and public health physicians, nurses, 

dentists and biomedical scientists. Moreover, 

USU is a particularly compelling example of 

the importance of public investment in our nation’s future. I look forward to working with my 

colleagues in Congress, the leadership of the 

Department of Defense and the USU to ensure that USU has the support it needs to 

continue to fulfill the vision of its founders. 

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join 

me in congratulating USU, its students, alumni, faculty and staff on forty years of extraordinary contributions to our nation. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF THE MEDICARE 

SECONDARY PAYER AND LATE 

ENROLLMENT PENALTY FAMILY 

FAIRNESS ACT 

HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce 

the Medicare Secondary Payer and Late Enrollment Penalty Family Fairness Act. Today, 

the Social Security Act uses different definitions of familial relationships for purposes of 

Medicare secondary payer rules and late enrollment penalty protections. Beneficiaries over 

age 65 are subject to a more restrictive definition than younger beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicare due to disability. My legislation fixes that anomaly by creating a uniform 

definition so that Medicare beneficiaries of all 

ages are treated equally. I would like to thank 

my constituent Joseph Goleman for bringing 

this problem to my attention. 

Medicare’s secondary payer rules generally 

allow an individual to maintain employer-sponsored coverage after they’ve obtained Medicare eligibility and forgo joining Medicare Part 

B (and therefore having to pay the Part B 

monthly premium) as long as they maintain 

such coverage. In these instances, their employer-sponsored coverage remains their primary coverage, and Medicare Part A is their 

secondary coverage. Very importantly, the law 

also protects people in this situation who then 

transition to Medicare Part B when they lose 

that employer-sponsored coverage. The law 

shields these beneficiaries from the late enrollment penalty because they’ve maintained consistent coverage and therefore carry no adverse risk for Medicare. This is a key benefit 

as the late enrollment penalty is a substantial 

financial hit. 

These rules exist because they are a win for 

beneficiaries with access to employer-sponsored coverage and a win for taxpayers. 

Beneficiaries gain because employer-sponsored coverage usually has lower cost sharing 

than Medicare and typically has lower 

deductibles as well. Plus, taxpayers win because Medicare isn’t responsible for many 

new health costs for these individuals because 

they are being primarily covered by their employer’s plan. 

For people who become eligible for Medicare based on disability, the current law provides that these Medicare Secondary Payer 

and Late Enrollment Penalty rules apply to the 

beneficiary and his or her ‘‘family member.’’ 

For people who become eligible for Medicare 

by reason of turning 65, these protections only 

apply to the beneficiary or their ‘‘spouse.’’ 

The practical impact of these different definitions of familial relationships is that a person 

eligible for Medicare based on disability is protected from late enrollment penalties when 

covered by a same sex spouse on his or her 

employer plan. However, a person eligible for 

Medicare because they’ve turned 65 is not. 

I learned of this problem after I received a 

constituent inquiry in my Fremont, California 

office. Joseph Coleman is a 34-year-old person with a disability and is enrolled in Medicare on that basis. After becoming enrolled in 

Medicare, he learned that he could obtain 

spousal coverage and thereby avoid having to 

pay the Part B premium. He was also rightly 

informed that he’d be eligible to rejoin Medicare Part B—without paying a penalty—if that 

spousal coverage changed. 

Imagine Joseph’s surprise, anger, and fear 

when he went to exercise that right to rejoin 

Medicare Part B and he was told by a local 

Social Security office in our community, that 

that right didn’t extend to him because he was 

in a same-sex marriage. Instead, he would be 

subject to a significant late enrollment penalty, 

which made Medicare Part B coverage entirely 

unaffordable for him. 

Thankfully, Joseph reached out to me. My 

staff quickly discovered that he was, in fact, 

guaranteed the protection to rejoin Medicare 

without penalty. After several go ’rounds with 

the local Social Security office by my staff and 

Medicare’s Region 9 staff, we were able to get 

Joseph the benefits to which he was due. 

However, it is clear to me that because there 

are two different standards in the law, mistakes are made and people are likely losing 

benefits to which they are entitled under current law. This certainly would have been the 

case with Joseph if I hadn’t intervened. 

Regardless of your position on same-sex 

marriage, revising the law to have a standard 

definition using ‘‘family member’’ for the Medicare secondary payer rules and the late enrollment penalty protection simply makes financial 

sense for Medicare. By converting to the term 

‘‘family member,’’ we steer clear of stepping 

into any debate over the Defense of Marriage 

Act. While I oppose that law and would strongly support its repeal, that’s not the fight we’re 

waging today. 

The simple goal of this bill is to right a 

wrong, which was brought to my attention by 

a constituent. If left unchanged, not only does 

the law treat Medicare beneficiaries in identical situations differently, it obviously results in 

confusion for those who enforce the law. I am 

sure more people than Joseph Coleman have 

been wrongly denied benefits based on misinterpretation of the convoluted law—potentially accented by personal prejudices. 

I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of this small bill that affects few people, 

but simply clarifies the law. It will mean the difference between people obtaining quality, affordable coverage through Medicare Parts 

A&B, or being left behind. 


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September 19, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1561 

IN HONOR OF MR. DAN BRADY 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of Dan Brady, a member of the Cuyahoga County Council serving the Third District. 

Dan Brady is a native of Cleveland, Ohio 

and has been active in public service for many 

years. He earned a degree in political science 

and history from Ohio University. He served 

on the Cleveland City Council from 1986 to 

1996 before serving one term in the Ohio 

House of Representatives from 1996 to 1998. 

He left the Ohio House of Representatives to 

run for a seat in the Ohio Senate, in which he 

served until 2006. He was elected to the position of minority whip in the Ohio Senate in 

2001. He now serves on the Cuyahoga County Council representing the Third District. 

Dan Brady’s accomplishments make him a 

remarkable figure in state and local government. As a member of the Cleveland City 

Council, Dan helped manage the expansion of 

Cleveland Public Power. In the Ohio House of 

Representatives, he supported the Beck Center for the Performing Arts and opposed legislation that would have reduced benefits to injured workers. In the Ohio Senate, he fought 

for legislation to reduce the risk of HIV among 

hospital workers working with needles. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring Dan Brady, a member of the Cuyahoga County Council who is dedicated to 

serving the citizens of Cuyahoga County and 

the State of Ohio. 

f 

HONORING CLAUDE L. AND 

MICHELLE D. WINFIELD 

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 

tribute to Claude and Michelle ‘‘Shelley’’ Winfield. The Winfields have made unique personal contributions in their professional lives 

and through their volunteer efforts to benefit 

New Yorkers at-large. 

Mr. and Ms. Winfield have spent the majority of their professional careers in education. 

Mr. Winfield was born in Virginia and moved 

to New York City as a young boy. He earned 

an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from New York University, and began 

his career working for Western Electric. He 

later earned masters degrees in elementary 

education and education administration from 

City University of New York. Mr. Winfield 

found his true calling when he began teaching. 

He taught 2nd grade English and middle 

school science, and later became the principal 

of Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn, 

which served 1,900 students. Mr. Winfield is a 

strong proponent of the progressive teaching 

methods that he feels benefited him as a 

young student. 

Ms. Winfield grew up in Pennsylvania, and 

earned an undergraduate degree in home economics from Howard University before beginning her teaching career. She received masters degrees in education administration from 

Fordham University and in special education 

from Adelphi University. For 15 years, until her 

retirement in 2002, Ms. Winfield was the beloved Supervisor of Special Education at Robert Wagner Middle School in Manhattan where 

she inspired in her colleagues and students an 

appreciation for the intrinsic value of education. 

The Winfields are deeply involved in the 

community, serving in leadership positions in a 

variety of organizations. Mr. Winfield serves as 

Manhattan Community Board 6 Executive 

Committee Vice Chairman and Chairman of 

the Community Board’s Housing, Homeless 

Services and Human Rights Committee. He 

also volunteers as a docent at the Museum for 

African Art. 

Ms. Winfield is an active member of the of 

the Parent Advisory Board at the National 

Dance Institute. She has been an enthusiastic 

advocate for the program since her son participated in it as a student at P.S. I24M. She 

was appointed by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to serve on the Community 

Advisory Board of Bellevue Hospital Center 

and assists with fundraising for The Duke 

Ellington Society, Inc. in Manhattan. 

Ms. Winfield had an early introduction to the 

civil rights movement as a result of her family’s activism and community service. Her father was a civil rights leader who served as 

President of the North Philadelphia Action 

Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In accordance with the family tradition, Mr. and Ms. 

Winfield have worked with the NAACP MidManhattan Branch, which honored them with 

the Distinguished Service Award in 1975. 

The couple is also very involved in local political organizations, including the Samuel J. 

Tilden Democratic Club, for which Ms. Winfield 

serves on the donations committee. In April, 

they received the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic 

Club Humanitarian Award for their tireless advocacy and incredible contributions of their 

time and talents to strengthen the community. 

Married in 1974, Mr. and Ms. Winfield are 

the proud parents of two children, Marie and 

Michael, and adore their son-in-law Konrad 

Pust. They are also loving grandparents to 

their granddaughter, Sophie. 

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join 

me in recognizing Claude and Shelley Winfield. This remarkable couple are shining examples of selfless devotion to community 

service. 

f 

CONGRATULATING DR. HILLARD 

M. LAZARUS 

HON. STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would 

like to offer my congratulations to Dr. Hillard 

M. Lazarus, in his continued pursuit of excellence in care delivery and commitment to 

medical innovation. During my eighteen year 

tenure in Congress, I have had the great 

honor of working with the University Hospitals 

Systems (UH) in Cleveland, OH, and experiencing firsthand the exceptional commitment 

to increasing the quality of care they provide 

to patients not just from Northeast Ohio, but 

from around the country. I have also had the 

opportunity to develop a personal relationship 

with many members of their dedicated team of 

care providers. 

Dr. Hillard Lazarus is one of those extraordinary members of the UH team. Dr. Lazarus 

has over 30 years of distinguished experience 

in his field, and has served as the Director of 

the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program within the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Seidman Cancer Center for the past 25 

years. In this time, Dr. Lazarus has gained a 

reputation as a leading expert in his field and 

is widely recognized for his contributions in the 

areas of mesenchymal stem cell transplants 

and autologus stem cell transplantation. As a 

pioneer in non-embryonic stem cells and regenerative medicine, Dr. Lazarus performed 

the first stem cell transplant in the state of 

Ohio in 1976 at UH Case Medical Center. 

Dr. Lazarus has been identified as an Outstanding Physician in many national and local 

surveys, was inducted into the Cancer Care 

Hall of Fame and the American Cancer Society, and has received the American Cancer 

Society Lifetime Achievement Research 

Award. He has also authored and co-authored 

over 270 publications in peer-reviewed journals, 46 book chapters and 66 review articles. 

His record of ground-breaking treatments and 

breakthroughs has helped make Seidman 

Cancer Center a leader in the treatment of 

leukemia and other blood disorders. 

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity 

to share some of the highlights of the ongoing 

work of Dr. Lazarus with the House of Representatives. It is so important to recognize 

innovators like him, who pave the way for 

medical breakthroughs that increase the duration and quality of life for millions of Americans. I am proud to offer my congratulations 

and thanks to Dr. Lazarus for his outstanding 

achievements and contributions, as well as his 

service to Northeast Ohio and the United 

States of America. 

f 

IN HONOR OF CLEVELAND CITY 

COUNCILMAN ZACK REED 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of Councilman Zack Reed, who has 

been representing the residents of the Mt. 

Pleasant and Kinsman neighborhoods in Ward 

2 on Cleveland’s City Council since 2000. 

Councilman Reed grew up in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Cleveland. He began his 

career in public service working with local 

unions to help inner-city youth find jobs with 

the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Youth 

Apprenticeship Program. 

Throughout his time in office, Councilman 

Reed has focused on the revitalization of the 

Mt. Pleasant neighborhood and the safety of 

its residents. He was an active advocate for 

the zero tolerance for crime policy, gun 

buybacks and an increase in support for 

Cleveland police officers. Reed has also 

worked closely with community leaders in his 

neighborhood to revitalize small businesses 

and create an environment that supports economic development. 

Councilman Reed has been a strong advocate of workforce equality for the diverse population of Cleveland and has been an active 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS