This legislation is necessary because there have been some unintended consequences from the Balanced Budget Act that the Clinton-Gore Administration and the Congress enacted in 1997. We need to take action to ensure that beneficiaries are protected from unexpected slow-downs in Medicare spending.
Time is short.
I am requesting that Committee members review the proposal, and prepare for a private members meeting Wednesday. I am interested in hearing their comments so that I can make final revisions to this bill prior to its introduction. The proposal will be posted on the Senate Finance Committee web site later today. The package also includes provisions for rural health clinics, ambulance services, and telemedicine. Rural hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies also benefit from general financing improvements detailed in other sections.