Arlen Specter: “I call up amendment No. 2324 on behalf of Senators Warner and Allen. This amendment expresses the sense of the Senate…”

“I call up amendment No. 2324 on behalf of Senators Warner and Allen. This amendment expresses the sense of the Senate that the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services work with the Commonwealth of Virginia to resolve their Medicaid issues. I urge adoption of the amendment. It has been cleared with Senator Harkin. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Pennsylvania [Mr. Specter], for Mr. Allen, for himself, and Mr. Warner, proposes an amendment numbered 2324. The amendment is as follows: (Purpose: To express the Sense of the Senate concerning the treatment of physician costs in the calculation of the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital uncompensated cost limit by the State of Virginia) On page 178, after line 25, add the following: Sec. 222. (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings: (1) Hospitals cannot provide patient care without physicians. (2) It is particularly difficult for hospitals to provide patient care to uninsured patients. (3) Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments provide payments to hospitals to provide care to uninsured patients. (4) Hospitals that provide a large volume of care to uninsured patients incur significant costs. (5) Since there is no other source of reimbursement for hospitals related to these costs, some States have permitted reimbursement of these physician costs through Medicaid DSH.…”