SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 48

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 26, 1996

 

 

By Senator BUBBA

 

 

A Concurrent Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to reconsider proposed reductions in projected Medicare spending.

 

Whereas, Budget resolutions which were recently adopted by the United States Senate and House of Representatives are designed to balance the federal budget by the year 2002 and include major reductions in the projected rate of Medicare spending over the next seven years in order to reach that objective; and

Whereas, The proposed reductions in the rate of Medicare growth would inevitably result in fewer health care services for Medicare beneficiaries because the reduced rate of spending would not keep pace with a growing Medicare population and health care cost inflation, even though the Medicare budget would still increase between now and the year 2002 under these budget resolutions; and

Whereas, These proposed reductions greatly exceed what is needed to meet the widely acknowledged need for Medicare reform, which will be required to preserve the program's fiscal viability for the current 34 million elderly and four million disabled Medicare beneficiaries, and for succeeding generations; and

Whereas, The current rate of increase in Medicare spending is a function of the growing senior citizen population in this country and the use of new medical technology which ensures quality health care for Medicare patients; and

Whereas, Medicare spending has already been cut during the past decade, reducing its growth rate by nearly half, while private health costs have increased at a faster rate; and

Whereas, Federal Medicare payments to New Jersey hospitals do not now adequately cover the cost of providing care to Medicare beneficiaries; and Medicare currently represents more than 40% of a hospital's total revenue in this State on average, but as much as 70% of total revenue for some hospitals, which means that New Jersey residents already incur a significant cost shift associated with the shortfall in Medicare payments to hospitals in the State; and

Whereas, New Jersey would be more adversely affected by these proposed Medicare cutbacks than most other states because of the number of Medicare beneficiaries living here, and severe Medicare funding reductions would have a disastrous impact on the health care system in this State with its large senior citizen population; and

Whereas, The need for Medicare reforms should not be so drastic that they adversely affect the health and lives of frail and vulnerable senior and disabled American citizens; now, therefore,

 

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):

 

    1. The Congress of the United States is respectfully memorialized to reconsider the proposed reductions in the projected rate of Medicare spending over the next seven years, and to design a more humane approach to reform of the Medicare program in order to ensure its future solvency and its continued ability to serve the health care needs of millions of senior and disabled citizens across this nation well into the next century.

 

    2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate and signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly, shall be forwarded to the presiding officers of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and to each of the members of the Congress of the United States elected from the State of New Jersey.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This Senate concurrent resolution memorializes the Congress of the United States to reconsider proposed reductions in the projected rate of Medicare spending, and to design a more humane approach to reform of the Medicare program in order to ensure its future solvency and its continued ability to serve the health care needs of senior and disabled citizens.

 

 

 

Memorializes U.S. Congress to reconsider proposed reductions in Medicare spending.