June 10, 2003
Smith Lauds Increased Funds for Rural Health Care in Prescription Drug Legislation
Washington, DC – Today, Senator Gordon Smith voiced optimism upon the release of draft Medicare prescription drug legislation which includes $25 billion to address funding shortfalls in rural health care. Smith and others members of the Senate Finance Committee will review the proposal on Thursday June 12, before sending it on to the full Senate for debate.
"We're closer than we've ever been to creating a drug benefit for senior citizens," Smith said. "Both Congress and the president are committed to passing this landmark legislation, and I'm very optimistic that we'll be successful in the next couple of months."
The legislation as released by the Senate Finance Committee includes a new prescription drug benefit requiring a minimal deductible, which provides substantial financial assistance to seniors based on their ability to pay, while covering catastrophic expenses of Medicare enrollees. At the urging of Senator Smith and with the support of President Bush, the legislation also includes a $25 billion package which will narrow the gap in hospital payments between urban and rural areas. It will also provide increased funding for rural doctors, home health agencies, and ambulance services. These funds have long been a priority for Senator Smith who voted to include the increases in the recently-passed economic growth package.
"Oregon has gotten the short end of the stick in health care dollars for too long," Smith said. "For years, we've used temporary fixes, but that has left doctors and their patients with too much uncertainty. These are real and permanent changes that will go a long way toward providing Oregonians with the health care they deserve."
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