Press Releases
Media
January 6, 2009
ENSIGN BILL PROVIDES RELIEF TO SENIORS
Washington, D.C. - Senator John Ensign introduced legislation today that will provide seniors with greater access to physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services. The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act would permanently repeal the Medicare beneficiary therapy caps, an arbitrary restriction that prevents many seniors from receiving much-needed therapy.
“The United States is home to the best medical care in the world,” said Ensign. “Unfortunately, many seniors have limited access to even the most basic medical services as they seek a healthy recovery. I am urging my colleagues to support this legislation because we should make every effort to curtail seniors’ dependency on our medical institutions.”
Studies have found that, in one year, almost 650,000 Medicare beneficiaries would have had their physical, occupational or speech-language therapy benefits prematurely ended because of this cap.
“Therapy is necessary to effectively manage and confront many age-related diseases, such as stroke, Parkinson’s, and congenital heart failure,” said Ensign. “Every year in the Senate we debate this issue of therapy caps, and this year needs to be the last.”
Through moratoriums or a measure known as an exceptions process, Congress has implemented short-term fixes in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006. This is a redundant task that only temporarily resolves the issue, and it ignores the need to permanently fix this problem for our seniors. Without Congressional action, the beneficiary cap on therapy services will be effective on January 1, 2010, less than one year from today, and our seniors will lose access to critical services.
Ensign’s bill will permanently resolve this issue and was introduced today with Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) to ensure a bipartisan solution.
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Communications Director |
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Nevada Press Secretary
Sari Mann 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Tel: (702) 388-6605 |
January 2009 Press Releases
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6th - ENSIGN BILL PROVIDES RELIEF TO SENIORS -
7th - DEFICIT OUTLOOK SHOULD ALARM TAXPAYERS -
7th - Inauguration Ticket Requests -
7th - Background Checks Will Better Protect Our Children -
8th - ENSIGN, REID FIGHT FOR TAX RELIEF FOR NEVADANS -
12th - ENSIGN STATEMENT ON DTV TRANSITION -
14th - SENATE, HOUSE RENEW EFFORT TO HELP VOLUNTEERS DURING TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES -
14th - Senators Ensign and Feinstein Introduce Measure to Ensure that Federal Education Funds for America’s Neediest Students Are Directed Towards Helping Students Learn -
15th - ENSIGN NAMED TO HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE -
21st - ENSIGN HEALTH IT BILL PROVING EFFECTIVE, HELPFUL -
22nd - ENSIGN: NO BAILOUT FOR TRIAL LAWYERS -
26th - ENSIGN, CARDIN INTRODUCE TAX CREDIT TO HELP AILING HOUSING MARKET -
28th - CHILDREN’S HEALTH PLAN SHOULD HELP KIDS FIRST -
30th - ENSIGN, BAYH INTRODUCE BILL GIVING IRAQIS STAKE IN OIL REVENUES
