Political Quotes

“today I introduce a measure on behalf of myself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Grassley, and others which sends a strong message to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) that the United States Senate disapproves of the agency's recent rule regarding surety bond requirements for home health agencies. The surety bond regulation, coupled with HCFA's implementation of the Interim Payment System (IPS) for home health, are crippling the ability of our Nation's home health agencies to provide high quality care to our Nation's seniors and disabled. Over this past month alone, in St. Louis, Missouri, the two largest home health providers decided to get out of the home health business-- leaving hundreds of elderly and disabled patients searching for a new provider. The invaluable, dedicated services provided by the largest independent provider in St. Louis, the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), will no longer be realized by the approximately 600 home care patients the agency has served. It is regrettable that a government bureaucracy is forcing a home health agency, that has served the St. Louis area for 87 years, out of the home health care business.”