--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Laura Eckart" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:51:00 -0500
Subject: Press Conference tomorrow

FYI:

Joan Samuelson, President, Parkinson's Action Network will join Senators
Ensign, R-NV and Lincoln,D-AK, tomorrow in a press conference to kick off
a
National Campaign to Repeal Medicare Therapy Caps.  If you are in the
Washington DC area please come and show your support on this important
issue. Attached are PAN's press release on talking points. Please let me
know if you have any questions.
Hope to see you tomorrow! Thanks,

Laura Eckart

When: Wednesday, July 31st, 2002
Where: Senate Swamp (across the street from Russell SOB; Delaware and
Constitution Ave. by Russell fountain)
Time: 10:00 am

####
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:   Laura Eckart 703-518-8600
 Melissa Narins 703-780-0880

Parkinson's Action Network Joins in Kick-Off of National Campaign
to Repeal Medicare Therapy Caps
PAN Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation to Permanently Repeal Caps

Washington, DC -- The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) joined Senators
John
Ensign (R-NV) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), other patient advocates and
providers at a press conference on Capitol Hill today to kick-off the
August
recess grassroots campaign to repeal the Medicare outpatient therapy
caps.

PAN urged Congress to permanently repeal the Medicare rehabilitation
therapy
caps that are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2003 by passing The
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (S. 1394), sponsored by
Senators Ensign and Lincoln.

“Parkinson's is a movement disorder that, day by day, beats up the body's
ability to move smoothly, with strength and balance,” said Joan
Samuelson,
President of the Parkinson’s Action Network.  “Over time, with currently
available medication, gait becomes irregular, muscles lose their needed
shape, and strength and balance are impaired.

“There is substantial evidence that physical therapy and exercise work
against this deterioration, restoring function for weeks, months and even
years.  To someone coping, as I do, with Parkinson's, this translates
into
substantial time available to continue working, functioning independently
and living with dignity.  Physical therapy for Parkinson's patients
brings a
huge return, in the form of continued employment and lesser dependence on
government support.  At the same time, it is priceless: there is probably
nothing more important to us, the million Americans who suffer with
Parkinson's, than staying involved in the functioning world.”

“The Medicare rehabilitation caps on these sorts of treatments are not
only
pound-foolish, they are wrong-headed and cruel.  We hope that patients
and
health care providers across the country will make their voices heard on
this important issue during the August recess when Senators are in their
states.”

The $1,500 caps on occupational therapy and physical and speech-language
therapy care will be implemented on January 1, 2003, unless Congress acts
to
repeal them.  The House-passed Medicare proposal (H.R. 4954) includes a
two-year extension of an existing moratorium on the therapy caps.
Congress
has twice placed the caps under a moratorium since January 1, 2000.

“We applaud the leadership of Senators Ensign and Lincoln who are working
hard to gain support for their legislation that would repeal the caps
once
and for all,” Samuelson added.

The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) is the unified advocacy voice of the
Parkinson’s community, fighting for a cure within five years. Through
education and interaction with the Parkinson’s community, scientists,
policy
and opinion leaders, and the public at large, PAN advocates for increased
and accelerated investment of public resources to ease the burden and
bring
a cure to the million Americans who suffer from Parkinson’s.
###

Laura Eckart
Deputy Education and Advocacy Director
Parkinson's Action Network
p: 703-518-8877
f: 703-518-0673

DON’T LET THE MEDICARE
BENEFICIARY REHABILITATION THERAPY CAP
COME BACK!

Unless Congress acts, beneficiaries will, again, face arbitrary limits on
their rehabilitation therapy care.  On January 1, 2003, the Medicare
outpatient beneficiary caps on rehabilitation therapy will take effect.
These $1,500 beneficiary caps on (1) occupational therapy and (2)
physical and speech-language therapy care combined will negatively impact
care for our nation’s seniors.  The caps were partially implemented in
1999, but Congress has since twice placed such implementation under a
moratorium until the end of this year.  It is time to repeal these
beneficiary caps once and for all!

Approximately 12-13% of beneficiaries needing therapy care will exceed
the annual caps.  Both MedPAC and independent analyses have demonstrated
that nearly 1 out of 7 of such beneficiaries would exceed the beneficiary
cap.  If the cap comes back, beneficiaries may self-ration care or be
forced to forgo medically necessary care altogether once the cap is
exceeded.

The cap would negatively impact beneficiaries who suffer from stroke or
other circulatory-related ailments, Parkinson’s disease and
musculoskeletal disorders.  One analysis conducted in 1999 on the impact
of the therapy cap during the first 2 months (based on actual Medicare
claims) illustrated the following:

·       Of those who exceeded the $1,500 cap for occupational therapy, 46% were
beneficiaries who suffered from stroke-related ailments and 23% were
those who had osteoarthritis and related musculoskeletal disorders.

·       Of those who exceeded the $1,500 cap for physical/speech-language
therapy, 43% were beneficiaries who suffered from both stroke- and
heart-related circulatory ailments and 28% were those who had
osteoarthritis and related musculoskeletal disorders.

It will be the older and more vulnerable beneficiaries who will be most
impacted by the therapy cap.  As beneficiaries continue to age and
encounter multiple health problems, they are more likely to be the ones
to exceed the cap.

DON’T LET THE MEDICARE
BENEFICIARY REHABILITATION THERAPY CAP COME BACK!

Cosponsors of S. 1394

Ensign (R-NV)   Sep. 4, 2001
Lincoln (D-AR)  Mar. 4, 2002
Helms (R-NC)    Mar. 6, 2002
Johnson (D-SD)  Mar. 6, 2002
Landrieu (D-LA) Mar. 6, 2002
Murray (D-WA)   Mar. 6, 2002
Hutchinson (R-AR)       Mar. 14, 2002
Collins (R-ME)  May 2, 2002
Bingaman (D-NM) May 2, 2002
Hollings (D-SC) May 9, 2002
Smith (R-NH)    May 15, 2002
Dorgan (D-ND)   June 4, 2002
Cleland (D-GA)  June 5, 2002
Rockefeller (D-WV)      June 11, 2002
Stabenow (D-MI) June 19, 2002
Reid (D-NV)     June 26, 2002
Durbin (D-IL)   June 26, 2002
Kennedy (D-MA)  June 27, 2002
Kerry (D-MA)    June 27, 2002
Torricelli (D-NJ)       June 27, 2002
Miller (D-GA)   July 9, 2002
Specter (R-PA)  July 11, 2002
Mikulski (D-MD)         July 11, 2002
Corzine (D-NJ)  July 15, 2002

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