Notable & Quotable

— U.S. Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., shown talking with constituents, has introduced the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2007 (H.R. 1845), a bill designed to “assure access to durable medical equipment under the Medicare program.”
Co-sponsored by Reps. David Hobson, R-Ohio, and Mike Ross, D-Ark., the proposed legislation is a new version of the Hobson-Tanner bill introduced last year, which failed to make it through congressional channels before the end of the term. To soften the effects of competitive bidding, the proposed legisltion would allow any qualified provider who has submitted a bid below the current allowable to continue doing Medicare business. “We made a few minor changes, but the bill is essentially the same as the one submitted last year,” said Randy Ford, Tanner’s communications director. “Hopefully, this is the year we’ll have some legislative success with it.” According to the American Association for Homecare, the bill “would correct many of the worst provisions of the competitive bidding program by preserving fair competition and access to care.” Those members of the House of Representatives who supported last year’s measure are prime candidates for signing on to the new bill, the association said. For a review of the bill, visit www.aahomecare.org.

Women are more likely than men to have problems accessing health care because of cost.
Source: Commonwealth Fund

Bariatric surgery among teens in the U.S. tripled from just over 200 procedures in 2000 to almost 800 procedures in 2003.
Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

17.2% Percentage of income older Americans spend for health care, expected to hit 23.5% in 2030
Source: National Center for Policy Analysis

“After more than a decade on the back burner, America’s 45 million uninsured are finally receiving the attention they deserve.”
— Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee chair, on his introduction of The AmeriCare Health Care Act, a universal health coverage bill, last month.