Date: 2008-03-05
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I come to the floor today proud to say Ive been looking to the issue of mental health parity since 2002. In March of that- year. I chaired the subcommittee that held the very first House hearing on that topic. I heard back then and have continued to hear over the years the concerns from mental health advocates. employers. and benefit managers about what effect parity may have on everyones goal of providing quality health care to more Americans. So I come to the floor today disappointed that we are debating a bill that I cannot support. Unfortunately. the majority has decided that politics should trump policy. that instead of bringing a bill to the floor that has the support of all the stakeholders in this debate. a bill the President has said he would sign into law. and a bill the Senate passed by unanimous consent. were debating a bill that will only delay action on this very important issue. There are real problems with the bill before us today. The first is the heavyhanded list of mandates. This bill would say to employers and insurance companies. if you decide to include mental health benefits in your health insurance package. you are forced to cover anything and everything related to mental health. This is a requirement that doesnt exist in any other sector of the insurance industry. and I believe it would have the unintended consequence. in spite of what our opposition says. of forcing employers and companies to decide not to offer mental health benefits at all. This. of course. is not the goal were striving to achieve today. This bill also pays for mental health parity with a provision that would have a devastating effect on communities across the Nation. This provision would hurt every physicianowned hospital in this country. and that includes specialty hospitals. longterm acute care facilities. physicianowned full service hospitals. and patient rehabilitation facilities and others. Physicianowned hospitals serve as an integral part of the health care system in this country. They deliver efficient. highquality care to their patients and are a benefit to any community. These facilities across the country routinely are recognized nationally for their superior care. In fact. just last month a hospital in my district. Baylor Health Care System. received the National Quality Award from the Natiofial Quality Forum. This award recognizes exemplary health care organizations who are role models for achieving meaningful and sustainable quality improvement in health care. However. if this provision becomes law. this exemplary hospital would be forced to suffer serious consequences. like reducing patient care. We all support the goal of equal access to mental health benefits. however. it should not be paid for by sacrificing facilities that bring quality health care to more Americans. Physicianowned hospitals are on the front lines of reforming our health care system. and they shouldnt be punished for the inroads they are making. This provision will prohibit any new facility from being built as well as deny Medicare provider numbers to any facility currently under construction. It also caps the percentage of physician ownership in existing hospitals. No one facility can have more than 40 percent physician ownership. and no one doctor can own more than 2 percent of a facility. It puts the Federal Government in charge of deciding whether or not these facilities need to expand and help respond to the needs of the community. There have been a number of studies that have shown specialty hospitals have an overall positive effect over general acute care hospitals. Today is the day to stand up for innovation and stop taking the funding from the specialty hospitals. Mr. STARK. -