THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR ROBERT BYRD.

Washington, D.C…. U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., is seeking to halt the Bush Administration’s proposal to cut hospice reimbursements under Medicare. This proposal would eliminate an adjustment used for the past decade that captures the high labor costs and unique characteristics of the hospice care model. Senator Byrd, along with a bipartisan group of his colleagues, sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt that expresses opposition to the Administration’s proposed reimbursement cut.

The Senators write, “We are concerned about the potential impact such a reduction will have on hospice providers and their ability to provide comprehensive, high quality, end-of-life services to our nation’s most vulnerable population, Medicare beneficiaries nearing the end of life, and their families.”

The hospice model has been designed to assure that terminally ill beneficiaries, and their families, can be served in their homes with all the services they need. This service requires highly trained nurses, physicians, therapists, social workers, and bereavement counselors to provide this care. It is a labor intensive model that serves people at a time when they require a great deal of hands-on care.

The letter further states, “As our nation faces the continuing challenge of meeting the health care needs of an aging population, now is not the time to cut back on reimbursements for hospice services.”

Senator Byrd is also a cosponsor of the Nursing Home Transparency Act. By cosponsoring this legislation, Senator Byrd is seeking to improve nursing home care by increasing transparency and accountability of the companies that own these facilities.

Often, nursing homes are purchased and maintained by private companies that may be based out-of-state. These companies establish corporations with layered entities that run the facilities, making it difficult for employees and patients to find and file grievances with the nursing home’s owners and operators.

“Owning and operating a nursing home is serious business. Companies going out of their way to avoid the responsibility of owning this type of facility are not going to get away with it much longer,” Byrd said. “Nursing home residents in West Virginia and across the nation deserve to know where and how their hard-earned money is being spent.”