Congressman Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) today signed on to cosponsor legislation to stop the recently scheduled 4.4 percent payment cut to physicians for Medicare reimbursements.  The federal Medicare system, which covers health care for the nation’s senior citizens, works by reimbursing doctors, hospitals, home health care, nursing homes – and in the case of the Medicare + Choice system, HMO’s – for the services they provide to Medicare recipients.

At the end of December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2003, declaring that there will be a reimbursement rate cut of 4.4 percent for the coming year.  This reduction, on top of last year’s 5.4 percent cut, would have a devastating effect on physicians, other health care providers and patients across the country.  The legislation that Smith signed onto today, H.R. 41, will impose a one-year freeze on the physician’s fee schedule to protect Medicare patients’ access to medical care.

Washington state has been hit especially hard in the past by cuts to the Medicare program and many doctors are holding off on accepting new Medicare patients, withdrawing from the program or retiring.  Further cuts in the program will only exacerbate this problem.  The state already faces difficulties in keeping doctors and insurance companies in the program because of discrepancies in reimbursement rates from state to state, and deeper cuts in rates across the board do not bode well for the state’s Medicare system.  

“Our state’s problems with Medicare are bad enough as it is.  We simply can’t afford to see another cut in the reimbursement rates.  Already our doctors and hospitals are getting smaller reimbursements from the program than they should be and to add additional cuts will leave them with even fewer economic incentives for participating in Medicare.  It’s ludicrous,” said Smith.  

The estimated cost for the bill is around $1.5 billion.  Last night, the Senate approved a 1.6 percent across the board cut on the 11 remaining appropriations bills.  They plan to redirect that money into preserving the current Medicare reimbursement rate, along with shoring up a few other programs.

“We need a long-term solution to our Medicare problem,” continued Smith.  “With health care inflation rising quickly and baby boomers retiring, we’re looking at an enormous influx of seniors into the Medicare program while health care costs continue to grow.  The fact is that we need fundamental reform that focuses on healthy outcomes, gives seniors health care options, provides coverage for prescription drugs, and ensures the program is viable for future generations.”

On Wednesday January 15, Congressman Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) will meet with his Technology Advisory Council to discuss several issues that will come up in the new legislative session, including the tax and stimulus plans, homeland security implementation, privacy policies, copyright law and digital rights management, broadband policy (both tax incentives and national plan), cybersecurity and spectrum relocation.  In addition to describing some of his proposals to begin to address these and other cutting edge technology issues, Smith will listen to suggestions and concerns from his advisory council on area specific changes.   

One of the most recent members to join Smith’s Technology Advisory Council is Pierce College.  Recently Smith congratulated them on their recent announcement as an educational partner in eARMYU, a technology delivered education initiative for the military that Smith has worked for years to bring to the Puget Sound area.  eARMYU leverages technology to help deliver real choices for education and training to members of the Army, supplying long-distance learning and higher education quickly and efficiently to soldiers at home and abroad.  

Smith believes that our citizens need real choices for education and training and that we should support programs that provide students with the tools they need to succeed in the New Economy.  With the intersection of education and technology in mind, in the afternoon following his meeting with his Technology Advisory Council, Smith will visit the Intel Computer Clubhouse in Lakewood.  

The Intel Computer Clubhouse is an after-school, design-based learning program that provides youth ages 10 to 18 access to high-tech equipment and professional software. Youth who visit the Computer Clubhouse create digital artwork, produce their own music CDs, shoot and edit video, and design Web sites. Professional staff and volunteer adult mentors help Clubhouse members develop self-confidence and enthusiasm for learning skills needed to create career opportunities.

During the day, Congressman Adam Smith will also participate in a closed door brainstorming session at the University of Washington - Tacoma over the development of a concentration of courses meeting the security education and research needs of industry and government at UW-T Institute of Technology's Computer and Software Systems Masters program.

Members of the media are invited to attend both the Technology Advisory Council meeting and the visit to the Computer Clubhouse.  For further information on the meetings or to speak with Smith during the day, please contact Katharine Lister at (202) 226-8454. 

    10:00a.m. - 11:00a.m.   
    Quarterly meeting with Technology Advisory Council to discuss upcoming technology 
    issues in the 108th Congress. 
    Where: University of Washington - Tacoma, Tacoma Room 
    3:00p.m. - 3:30p.m.    
    Visits with youths at Intel's new Computer Clubhouse in Lakewood.  
    Where: Intel Computer Clubhouse in Lakewood, at Pierce College

    Directions:   
    Take I-5 to the Gravelly Lake exit and cross the freeway  
    Stay left at the Y (follow signs to Pierce College)  
    Pass Lakewold Gardens entrance; turn left onto Washington and go about a mile 
    Turn left onto Alameda and go one block 
    Park in the lot next to the Community Center  
    Enter playground through the gate; go down the ramp to Clubhouse entrance