Political Quotes

“today I rise to discuss a sense of the Senate amendment on behalf of myself, Senators Murray, Gorton, Ashcroft, and Hutchison, which simply states that ``careful study must be made of the impact of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital, or DSH, reform proposals on children's health and on vital sources of care including children's hospitals.'' It is our strong belief, and the sense of the Senate indicates, that any restrictions on DSH funding should not harm Medicaid coverage of children and pregnant women. While I recognize and strongly support the need to control Federal spending, I am deeply concerned about the impact of billions of dollars in new Medicaid DSH spending reductions. I know that my colleague, the distinguished chairman of the Budget Committee, can point to some States in which there may be disagreements about how the DSH payments were used. I don't say that there has been the same kind of usage of Medicaid disproportionate share payments in other States as there has been in Missouri. But I do know from our standpoint that since 1981 the Medicaid DSH Program has enabled hospitals who provide care to a disproportionate share of low-income people to serve as a safety net for those with little or no access to health care. In Missouri, the DSH Program has been a key variable in expanding health care coverage to thousands of pregnant women and children.”