Q: What was included in the end-of-the-year Medicare legislation?
A: Medicare legislation got caught in a back up in 2007 when Congress waited until the 11th hour to pass most all of the spending bills required to keep the government running. So before the clock struck midnight and the Senate adjourned for the holidays, I worked to make sure vital health care provisions for our nation’s seniors were part of a big year-end bill. The health care package is a stop-gap until Congress can re-engage in the Medicare debate this spring. This legislation, which I sponsored with my colleague Chairman Max Baucus of Montana, makes sure doctors can keep serving Medicare beneficiaries by preventing a 10-percent cut in federal reimbursement to Medicare doctors for six months and provides a half-percent update in payments. The legislation also extends a number of Medicare provisions set to expire that are important to seniors, including provisions to make certain rural seniors receive their Medicare benefits. As ranking member of Senate Finance Committee and the senior Senator from
Iowa , I have special interest in making sure Iowa ’s rural seniors are served by Medicare.
Q: What will happen to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in 2008?
A: Congress created the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) 10 years ago to bridge the gap for cash-strapped parents who didn’t qualify for Medicaid, yet could not afford health insurance for their kids. The federally-financed program serves roughly 6.6 million children annually. I have been an ardent supporter of reauthorizing SCHIP and returning it to its original mission of covering low income children. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives supported the SCHIP bill that I co-authored with Chairman Baucus to renew and reform the program, the House was unable to override the President's veto of the legislation. So before wrapping up the 2007 session, Congress passed a bill that would keep the SCHIP program running at previous levels through March 31, 2009. This temporary extension provides states with stable funding for the year ahead so they can continue to administer this valuable program that low-income parents rely on for their children. With this funding extension in place, Congress can enter the new legislative session starting in January with a renewed focus on reauthorization. I am committed to hammering out a bipartisan compromise to strengthen and improve the SCHIP program to cover additional vulnerable children who lack access to basic health care services.