Nancy L. Johnson: “Mr. Speaker, Secretary Thompson said about Medicare, ``Complexity is over the system, criminalizing honest mistakes, and…”

“Mr. Speaker, Secretary Thompson said about Medicare, ``Complexity is over the system, criminalizing honest mistakes, and driving doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals out of the program.'' I agree. Medicare and Medicaid are governed by 132,000 pages of regulations. That is 3 times the IRS Code and its regulations and the result is exactly as the Secretary described. Memorial Hospital in Gonzales, Texas has 33 beds and 20 billing staff. Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago just hired 26 new full-time employees to meet new regulatory requirements. At a time when we need Medicare dollars for more nursing care, prescription drugs, annual physicals, and new systems to help seniors manage multiple chronic illnesses, we cannot in good conscience ignore the costly administrative burdens and the multitude of injustices being heaped on Medicare doctors, hospitals, home health care providers, nursing homes, and other providers by a literal explosion of complex law, regulation directives, and paperwork. To address what I consider to be a crisis endangering the ability of small providers and many doctors to continue to serve our Nation's seniors, last January my subcommittee began taking a hard look at provider complaints.”