AdvaMed, Lawmakers, Disability Community Celebrate 11th Anniversary of ADA; Medicare Reform Bill to Improve Access
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U.S. Newswire
WASHINGTON, July 26 /U.S. Newswire/
-- AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, joined with lawmakers
and disability rights advocates today on Capitol Hill to commemorate the
11th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and hail
the announcement of soon-to-be-introduced Medicare reform legislation that
will increase access to medical and assistive technologies for people with
disabilities.
"Just as the ADA helped knock down
many of the institutional and legal barriers that once prevented Americans
with disabilities from fully participating in society and the workforce,
medical technology can help people realize all their potential," said AdvaMed
President Pamela G. Bailey. "The challenge for our government is to ensure
that bureaucratic policies don't preclude people from reaping the lifesaving
and life-enhancing benefits of medical technology."
The bipartisan legislation, which
will be introduced by Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL)
entitled The Medicare Innovation Responsiveness Act of 2001, will help
eliminate the delays of the 15 months to five years and longer that people
with disabilities and seniors face gaining access to the latest, FDA-approved
medical advances by reforming the program's coverage, coding and payment
processes. These technologies help reduce the effects of many significant
disabilities, including Parkinson's Disease, Epilepsy, hearing loss, and
spinal cord injury.
"This bill builds upon the legislative
successes of the last two years in improving the way Medicare offers new
medical and assistive technologies to the 39 million seniors and people
with disabilities who rely on it for quality care," said Bailey. "We implore
Congress and the Administration to act quickly and pass this needed legislation."
Advances in medical technology have
helped fuel a 2.6 percent annual decline in disability among people aged
65 years and older, according to a recent study by Duke University Researcher
Kenneth Manton. Bailey noted this decline will save the Medicare program
billions of dollars and significantly offset the effects of aging baby
boomer population.
"The evidence is clear that medical
technology is enabling people to lead more active, productive lives, and
research is now illustrating the positive effect it can have on reducing
overall disability and keeping health care costs in check," said Bailey.
"The tragedy is that Medicare and many private insurers fail to consider
these many long-term benefits, when they make decisions about new treatments
and services."
Bailey cited the potential Medicare
payment cuts of 50 percent to 70 percent for new technologies used in the
hospital outpatient setting as one example where access to lifesaving and
life-improving medical technologies could be threatened. These cuts could
have a staggering effect on people with disabilities. For instance, people
with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury
could see their access limited to a breakthrough implantable pain management
system.
"If Medicare implements these drastic
cuts in payment, it will discourage providers from using many innovative
technologies and procedures that enable people with disabilities and other
patients to avoid overnight hospital stays and receive treatment in lower-cost
outpatient facilities," Bailey said.
To focus attention on this concern
and others within the Medicare system that affect the way technologies
become available to beneficiaries, AdvaMed and leading disability rights
advocacy organizations issued a Resolution calling on lawmakers and health
policymakers to work together to maximize access to medical and assistive
technologies.
According to Bailey, the Resolution
is consistent with the themes of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative,
which calls for the removal of barriers to equality for people with disabilities
who are "denied the tools they need to fully access their communities."
She said that it also is in keeping
with his Medicare Reform Principles, where the President called for streamlining
Medicare's processes "to ensure that the next generation of medical technology
is readily available" to beneficiaries.
The 11th Anniversary Celebration
and Assistive Technology Exposition was co-sponsored by the following organizations:
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities; National Council on Independent
Living; NISH; Alliance for Aging Research; Disability Rights Education
and Defense Fund; National Organization on Disability, Paralyzed Veterans
of America; American Association of People with Disabilities; National
Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems; and National Parent Network
on Disabilities.
For more information on the celebration
event or the latest medical and assistive technologies, please visit:
AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology
Association, represents more than 1,100 innovators and manufacturers of
medical devices, diagnostic products and medical information systems. Our
members produce nearly 90 percent of the $71 billion health care technology
products consumed annually in the United States, and nearly 50 percent
of $169 billion purchased around the world annually.
To: National Desk, Health Reporter
Copyright 2001, U.S. Newswire
26 Jul 12:08
http://www.advamed.org/publicdocs/ada_72601.html.
Contact: Jeff Ezell, 202-434-7243,
jezell@AdvaMed.org,
Mary Plock, 202-434-7240, mplock@AdvaMed.org,
both of AdvaMed