WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps today joined Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood (GA) and Senator Sam Brownback (KS) and leading advocates from the Cancer Leadership Council to denounce the provisions in the Medicare reform bill that would slash Medicare coverage of chemotherapy and other critical cancer care. In an attempt to remedy the longstanding problem of Medicare overpayment for chemotherapy drugs and underpayment of cancer treatment services, the bill effectually cuts nearly half a billion dollars from cancer care for Medicare patients in America.
During mark-up of the Medicare bill last week in the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Capps offered two amendments to fix the damaging cancer cuts and improve the fairness and accuracy of Medicare reimbursements for cancer drugs and cancer treatment costs. Both amendments were defeated.
The full House of Representatives will consider the Medicare reform bill this week. Congresswoman Capps expects to submit an amendment to the Rules Committee to reverse the cancer cuts in the bill. Reps. Capps and Norwood have introduced H.R. 1622, the Cancer Quality Care Preservation Act, to correct the overpayment of cancer drugs and underpayment of cancer treatment services.
Congresswoman Capps is a registered nurse, co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, and co-chair and founding member of the House Nursing Caucus. She delivered the following statement today:
“The Medicare bill in the House is supposed to make it easier for patients to get health care. It will actually make it harder for cancer patients to get the care they need.
“Cancer has touched nearly every person and every family. Cancer patients and their loved ones can testify to the importance of a coordinated oncology team, including oncology nurses.
“For a patient, fighting cancer is a continuous up hill climb – a very steep one. Patients need support as they face this fight. A good oncology nurse working with a strong health team to support the patient can make all the difference -- it can truly mean the difference between life and death. But the House Medicare bill will cut half a billion dollars from cancer care – from oncologists and oncology nurses – threatening the cancer care and support system we have built in this country.
“There is no question that we need to fix the way we pay for cancer care. And we have to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. But we should not put the cost of such a benefit on the backs of struggling cancer patients.
“Dr. Norwood and I joined with the cancer community to craft legislation to resolve inequities in the cancer care system. And we worked hard during the recent markup to correct the Medicare bill’s flawed cancer provision. We want to make sure that patients don’t pay too much for their care, but we also must make sure that these patients continue to get the quality care they deserve. That means Medicare must pay appropriately for these services.
“I am very disappointed that the bill the House will vote on still includes provisions that will wreck cancer care in our country. The Congress must correct this right away. Members of Congress will all go home after voting on the bill before the House and we will have to face our constituents. I for one do not want to tell cancer patients that Congress has decided to curtail their treatment and endanger their care. I hope none of my colleagues will.”
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