PRESIDENT'S HEALTH CARE REFORM PROPOSALS: IMPACT ON PROVIDERS AND CONSUMERS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1994 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in room 1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Fortney Pete Stark (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. [The press releases announcing the hearing follow:] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1993 PRESS RELEASE #18 SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1102 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BLDG. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 TELEPHONE: (202) 225-7785 THE HONORABLE PETE STARK (D., CALIF.), CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON HEALTH CARE REFORM: THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH CARE REFORM PROPOSALS The Honorable Pete Stark (D., Calif.), Chairman, Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, announced today that the Subcommittee will hold a series of hearings on issues relating to the President's health care reform proposals. The hearings will begin on Thursday, October 7, 1993, at 10:00 a.m. in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building. They will continue on Tuesday, October 12, 1993, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Subsequent hearings will be announced at a later date. "The - In announcing the hearings, Chairman Stark said: President's health care reform plan presents a comprehensive response to the nation's most pressing problem. The plan would commit the nation to universal health coverage and to cost containment goals we have been seeking for many years. The President's proposals are complex, and we want to explore this plan and the alternatives to it, thoroughly, before proceeding to mark up a bill. We, therefore, expect to hold hearings to examine various aspects of the proposals throughout the fall of 1993." Oral testimony will be heard from invited and public witnesses during the course of the Subcommittee hearings on the President's proposals. BACKGROUND: The first hearing, scheduled for October 7, will include testimony from representatives of affected groups, including labor unions, health care providers, and health insurers. Testimony from Administration experts on various aspects of the President's proposals, including benefits, coverage, low-income subsidies, cost containment, governance, and Medicare proposals, will be heard by the Subcommittee at the next two hearings. The first day of Administration witnesses will be held on October 12, and the second day will be announced in a later press release. At subsequent hearings the Subcommittee will receive testimony from Members of Congress and from representatives of other affected groups, including consumer and employer groups. Testimony will be heard at additional hearings to focus on a series of priority health reform issues, including: (1) (2) Role of State governments and the Federal Government, including the role and functions of the proposed National Health Board, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal agencies; Role and functions of the proposed health alliances; (4) Proposed insurance reforms and their impact, risk (MORE) (5) Impact of the plan on underserved inner-city and rural (6) Impact of the plan on low-income populations generally; (8) (9) Impact of the plan on the structure and future of the Alternatives to the plan, including single-payer options, and other managed-competition options; (10) Administrative simplification under the plan; (11) Quality assurance; (12) Fraud and abuse measures; (13) Retiree health benefits; (14) Long-term care benefit; (15) Proposed standard health benefit package; (16) Graduate medical education and academic medical centers; (17) Impact of the plan on other affected groups and Hearings also will be scheduled by the full Committee on Ways and Means to consider financing issues (other than Medicare savings proposals) and other tax-related matters. DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF REQUESTS TO BE HEARD: Members of Congress, individuals and organizations interested in presenting oral testimony before the Subcommittee must submit their requests to be heard by telephone to Harriett Lawler, Diane Kirkland or Karen Ponzurick [(202) 225-1721] no later than the close of business on Friday, October 15, 1993, to be followed by a formal written request to Janice Mays, Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. staff will notify by telephone those scheduled to appear as soon as possible after the filing deadline and after additional hearings have been scheduled. The Individuals and organizations must specify in their requests to testify on which topic they would like to be heard. Given the limited time for the Subcommittee to hear from public witnesses, it is likely that witnesses will be restricted to one scheduled appearance before the Subcommittee. Additional comments on other aspects of the President's proposals may be submitted for the printed record of the appropriate hearing. It is urged that persons and organizations having a common position make every effort to designate one spokesperson to represent them in order for the Subcommittee to hear as many points of view as possible. Witnesses are reminded that the Subcommittee has held extensive hearings on various health reform issues earlier this year. To the extent possible, witnesses need not restate previous testimony heard by the Subcommittee. Time for oral presentations will be strictly limited with the understanding that a more detailed statement may be included in the printed record of the hearing. In addition, witnesses may be grouped as panelists with strict time limitations for each panelist. (MORE) In order to assure the most productive use of the limited amount of time available to question hearing witnesses, all witnesses scheduled to appear before the Subcommittee are requested to submit 300 copies of their prepared statements to the Subcommittee office, room 1114 Longworth House Office Building, at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled appearance. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the witness being denied the opportunity to testify in person. WRITTEN STATEMENTS IN LIEU OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE: Persons submitting written statements for the printed record of the hearing should submit at least six (6) copies of their statements by the close of business on the last day of the hearings, to Janice Mays, Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. An additional supply of statements may be furnished for distribution to the press and public if supplied to the Subcommittee office, room 1114 Longworth House Office Building, before the final hearing begins. FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS: Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee. 1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be typed in single space on legal-size paper and may not exceed a total of 10 pages. 2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee. 3. Statements must contain the name and capacity in which the witness will appear or, for written comments, the name and capacity of the person submitting the statement, as well as any clients or persons, or any organization for whom the witness appears or for whom the statement is submitted. 4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, full address, a telephone number where the witness or the designated representative may be reached and a topical outline or summary of the comments and recommendations in the full statement. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record. The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and public during the course of a public hearing. may be submitted in other forms. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE #19 SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS U.8. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1102 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BLDG. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 TELEPHONE: (202) 225-7785 THE HONORABLE PETE STARK (D., CALIF.), CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON HEALTH CARE REFORM: THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH CARE REFORM PROPOSALS The Honorable Pete Stark (D., Calif.), Chairman, Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, announced today that the Subcommittee will continue its series of hearings on issues relating to the President's health care reform proposals with two hearings focusing on testimony from Administration witnesses. The hearing previously announced for Tuesday, October 12, 1993, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m., will begin at 10:30 a.m. All other details for this hearing remain the same. (See Subcommittee press release #18, dated September 30, 1993.) The Subcommittee will continue its hearings on Friday, October 15, 1993, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The dates, times, and rooms for subsequent hearings will be announced at a later date. In announcing the hearings, Chairman Stark said: "The President has put forward a comprehensive and complex plan to address the critical goals of universal coverage and cost containment. As a follow-up to full Committee hearings with the First Lady and Secretary Shalala, the Subcommittee will hold two hearings with additional Administration officials to explore the proposed health plan in detail." Oral testimony will be heard from invited and public witnesses during the course of the Subcommittee hearings on the President's proposals. For further details about these hearings, see Subcommittee press release #18, dated September 30, 1993. BACKGROUND: On October 12, the Subcommittee will receive testimony from the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration, the Honorable Bruce C. Vladeck. Mr. Vladeck's testimony will focus on various aspects of the President's proposal, including the methodology for controlling the rate of growth in public and private health care spending, the employer and individual mandates, subsidies for firms with fewer than 50 employees, subsidies for low-income individuals, retiree health benefits, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and more generally, the future of the Medicare program. Dr. Judy Feder, Ph.D, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services, will appear before the Subcommittee on Friday, October 15th. Feder's testimony will cover issues of governance under the Administration's health care reform plan, including the role of the States, various Federal agencies, the National Health Board and the alliances. She will also focus on essential providers, insurance reforms and long-term care. |