Political Quotes

“I rise also, coming from a State that is extremely efficient. We have, as a State, been serving people in their homes for a little over $3800 per user, which is less than the national average of a little over $4600, $3800 versus $4600. And we know that there are providers that are using as much as $9000 per user, per patient. One of the difficulties with the way that the Health Care Finance Administration has begun to implement the changes in the balanced budget agreement is by doing it across the board, as opposed to looking at the high-user States or the high-user providers and addressing them. Instead they are penalizing everyone. In States like Michigan, where we have very dedicated small businesses, nonprofits, visiting nurses associations, Easter Seals, that have been working very diligently to keep costs down and yet provide very high quality care, they are being penalized.”