QI Program Supplemental Funding Act of 2008
QI PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2008)
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3560, the QI Program Supplemental Funding Act of 2008, introduced by my Senate colleague, Senator MAX BAUCUS.
Mr. Speaker, this bill makes a number of technical, but important, changes that will improve the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This legislation also contains an important provision that will help incentivize the development of new antibiotics.
Earlier this summer, Congress passed H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which extended the Qualifying Individual, or QI, program to December of 2009. The QI program provides important financial assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Unfortunately, when we passed H.R. 6331, we did not include enough money in the QI program to fully cover the level of need. We need an additional $45 million in order to fully cover the cost of the program through the end of next year. Otherwise, vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries may be disenrolled and lose access to important health services, and we certainly can't allow this to happen.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation also contains a provision that would encourage and incentivize drug manufacturers to research and develop antibiotics. Presently, there's too little research being done to develop new and innovative antibiotics therapies. That is particularly troubling at a time when antibiotic resistance is a growing problem.
According to the Infectious Disease Society of America, about 2 million people acquire bacterial infections in U.S. hospitals each year, and 90,000 die as a result. Approximately 70 percent of these infections are resistant to at least one drug.
Mr. Speaker, the R&D pipeline for antibiotics is drying up. Major pharmaceutical companies simply are not investing in the development of new antibiotics because it's not as profitable as drugs that treat chronic conditions. This is an important provision that I believe will help reverse that trend and lead to new breakthroughs and help protect the public health.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to these two provisions, the bill before us contains several other technical changes that would improve the Medicare and Medicaid programs and generate savings.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Well, as I've discussed with the gentleman, because we have actually talked about this on several occasions, I believe we are now doing what we call consent bills, in other words, bills that have the consent, meaning are basically agreed to not only by the Democrats and Republicans, but also by the members of the subcommittee and the Members of the House in general, because as you know, you have to have a two-thirds vote to pass these bills or do them by unanimous consent.
We do not have anything near consensus on that legislation. It would have to go through regular order, have a hearing, go through subcommittee. The problem is that many, probably the majority, but I won't venture to say whether it's majority or minority, but many people do not agree with the protocol, if you will, that is suggested, if not mandated, by that legislation.
In other words, right now, the majority of the doctors treat Lyme disease, you know, in a certain fashion. Those who advocate for that legislation suggest a different protocol, and frankly, I have tried very hard as chairman of the Health Subcommittee not to mandate or make decisions for physicians as to what kind of protocols they use. In this case, the protocol is very different from the overwhelming majority of the doctors, and so it's a very controversial issue that needs to have a lot of debate.
So there's absolutely no way that we could do something like that on a consent calendar because many of the Members simply don't support it.
Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, why hasn't the gentleman had hearings on it?
Mr. PALLONE. Well, we could certainly have hearings on it, and as I discussed with the gentleman, I would like to have hearings not only on that bill but on the issue of Lyme disease, research and treatment, and we will certainly do that in the next session. But we're obviously not doing this today in the context of a consent calendar.
Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, I will take you at your word that you're going to have hearings, is that accurate, early in the year?
Mr. PALLONE. What I said is I would like to have hearings on the issue related to Lyme. We can certainly take up the issues that are raised in that legislation in the context of that, but as I would say to the gentleman again, the protocol in that legislation is very controversial. It's certainly one of the many things that we would have to consider in the context of research and treatment of Lyme disease.
Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, we're not going to let this issue go away, I want to tell the gentleman from New Jersey, even if I have to come up into New Jersey and go throughout to say that this bill is being boxed up.
Just so Members know, instances of Lyme disease are rapidly rising in Virginia, not only in my congressional district but across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1993 to 2007, reported cases of Lyme in Virginia have risen 990 percent, and this committee has done nothing. In the same time frame, reported cases are up 235 percent nationwide.
Lyme disease is frightening, keeps the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from camping during summer months or children playing in the backyard or joggers on bike paths through tree-lined neighborhoods, sharing the outdoors with a minute insect that can bring monumental health problems.
Congress needs to get serious. I was watching this and I think you have boxed it up. You know, when the gentleman was speaking--if you could look at me, I would just appreciate it. I want to tell the gentleman that we're going to hold you to this with regard to hearings. I will come and testify, but if this issue is boxed up next year, we're going to deal with it in many ways.
I would ask unanimous consent--if you want to say something, I'll wait.
Mr. PALLONE. Well, I would just say this: You know, it does bother me because the gentleman is sort of suggesting that you and I haven't had conversations about this. We've actually had many conversations about this. I've told you the same thing I've just said here on the floor. And I really don't understand why the gentleman is giving the impression that somehow we haven't discussed this because we have.
Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, I never said--we've discussed it twice. What I'm saying is that you've boxed the bill up, you've boxed Chris Smith's bill up. You've held no hearings. And there are a lot of people around the country that are suffering with Lyme disease. And you appear to be the rail block. And so what we're asking for is hearings, and give us an opportunity for all people of all sides to be heard.
Mr. PALLONE. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. WOLF. I would yield.
Mr. PALLONE. First of all, I resent the fact that the gentleman is suggesting that we ``boxed this up.'' I would point out to the gentleman that the problem of Lyme disease has been around for many years. And the gentleman and his committee, Appropriations Committee, were in the majority for, what, at least 12 years before the last 2 years that the Democrats have been in the majority? Certainly, the gentleman had plenty of opportunity, and still does, to do something about this himself.
Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, I was going to offer the Chris Smith amendment to the appropriations bill. The Appropriations Committee hasn't met and had any hearings for months. Your side has prohibited any amendments from being offered. But I will tell the gentleman, next year, if you don't move this bill, I am going to offer it to the Labor-H bill next year and we will have to deal with it on the floor.
I believe we have a responsibility to address an issue that is wreaking havoc in my district and across the country. That's the rapid rise in Lyme disease and there is a bill pending in the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee that could go a long way towards helping raise awareness about the threat of Lyme.
Just this week I went to a briefing sponsored by the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association. People are suffering from Bell's palsy, meningitis and other manifestations from Lyme disease.
There are people in my district whose entire nuclear family suffers from chronic Lyme: Young men and women who have had to take medical leave from their college studies to battle severe joint pain and bleeding ulcers, once healthy people unable to dress themselves or tie their shoes; and folks hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt just trying to get some quality of life back for their loved ones.
Americans need to learn about Lyme and press their Federal legislator to act. It is unacceptable--an outrage--for Congress to ignore this issue.
This past August I held a Lyme disease awareness forum in my district in Loudoun County, Virginia, to help my constituents learn how to prevent Lyme disease from touching their families. Three medical doctors, including two county health departments, volunteered their time to share their expertise in Lyme-related issues.
Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria that are transmitted to people by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, which is comparable in size to the tip of a ball point pen. With all of the natural beauty and outdoor activities in many of the congressional districts we represent, it's important we work to educate our constituents about this debilitating disease.
Speaking as a father of five and grandfather of 13, I worry about deer, mice, and even family pets transporting ticks and transmitting Lyme.
Incidents of Lyme disease are rising rapidly in Virginia and across the country. According to the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, from 1993 to 2007 reported cases of Lyme in Virginia have risen 909 percent. In that same time frame, reported cases are up 235 percent nationwide.
Lyme disease is frightening. Picture Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts camping during the summer months or children playing in the backyard, or joggers on bike paths through tree-lined neighborhoods--sharing the outdoors with a minute insect that can bring monumental health problems.
This Congress needs to get serious about stepping up to the plate, and making sure people in high risk areas are aware of this threat. H.R. 741--The Lyme and Tick-Borne disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act--legislation introduced by CHRIS SMITH with a host of original cosponsors from New York, Connecticut, Arizona, Illinois, Rhode Island, Washington, among others, now has collected well over 100 bipartisan cosponsors.
The bill, which would expand Federal efforts with respect to prevention, education, and research activities, will go a long way toward getting the word out about Lyme disease and the precautions people can take to ensure that they never have to suffer the consequences of chronic Lyme.
``An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'' could not be a more appropriate adage for Lyme disease. Failure to recognize Lyme disease early in its course can result in the development of difficult to treat infections in the brain, eyes, joints, heart, and elsewhere in the body.
As public servants, we have given our word to do everything we can to protect the public interest. We are sorely lacking in Federal efforts to increase awareness and education about Lyme disease. Every year since 1998, legislation similar to H.R. 741 has been introduced in the House, and we have failed to act.
I urge every member to educate themselves on the Lyme statistics in their home state and take a close look at H.R. 741.
For those Members who sit on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, I urge you to step forward and act to see that this bill is reported out of committee before the House completes its legislative business for the 110th Congress.
For the House leadership, I urge that this bill be placed on the calendar now for action. If we can spend time loading up the suspension calendar and voting on commemorative anniversaries and naming post offices, we surely can find time to address legislation that can make a difference in the lives of Americans.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would just point out that on this and so many other issues it is amazing to me that the gentleman, who was in the majority for so many years and had so many opportunities to raise this and other issues, is somehow now suggesting that the Democrats are boxing it up. You know, Lyme has been around for a long time. The people concerned about this issue have been trying to address it for a long time. The bottom line, as the gentleman knows, it's a very controversial issue. We will certainly raise it, but he had ample opportunity, the many years that he was in the majority, to raise it and it just didn't happen.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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