White House Proposals for Coming Year

The Administration is slowly releasing general information about its priorities for the upcoming year. The White House sees the retaking by Republicans of control in the Congress along with Bill Frist (R-TN) becoming the Senate Majority Leader as setting a favorable climate for health care changes. 

Among the proposed changes that the President is expected to announce during his State of Union address are the following: 

• Medicare reform will likely be listed as a top priority, to include a prescription drug plan, strong private sector involvement, and preventive medicine.
• The Administration is expected to offer a proposal for tax credits for health insurance purchases.
• Medical malpractice reform will likely include a proposal to limit jury awards.
• The Administration will propose testing state initiatives to address the uninsured.
• 2002 health initiatives will be reintroduced including increased funding to community health centers, providing care to the uninsured, and expanding medical savings accounts.

Health industry officials are giving the President’s proposed ideas a favorable welcome, contingent on the details. Most health care practitioners believe any changes to Medicare and to health care in general must be accompanied by adequate funding for services. However skeptics are concerned that bringing market reforms into the Medicare system will likely lead to placing economic burdens on many individuals who cannot afford to pay for their own health care. 

As important as Medicare reform is for the many older persons and individuals with disabilities who rely on it, the American Pain Foundation remains focused on the day-to-day care that any-and-all individuals who live with pain experience. Research for pain care and many other health care concerns is vital towards alleviating pain and curing illness. Reimbursement levels for health care are critical as we see more and more health care practitioners relinquishing their practices or their patients due to inadequate payment for services and treatments. Treatment for pain care must remain a priority for the many individuals who cannot access appropriate pain care providers, either due to the absence of providers or due to inability to pay for the care. APF remains unshakable in its desire to assure that the public, health care providers and decision-makers are aware of the importance of pain management, and of the need to change within our health care system to respond to the needs of pain sufferers. 

APF needs the support of individuals to advocate at the federal level on behalf of pain care issues. If you are interested in learning more about how you can assist the APF with advocacy, please visit our website at www.painfoundation.org and click on the “Get Involved” button, or contact APF’s Director of Government Affairs, Edgar E. Rivas, at erivas@painfoundation.org.