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Murray's Work

 

 

Expanding Access

Ensuring that everyone can see a doctor when they need one is one of the most serious challenges facing our state and our country.  It is critical that as we work to expand access and push for affordability, that we also maintain quality, cultivate innovation, and ensure that safety standards are met.  As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I have focused on these priorities and pushed for legislation and funding that will improve access to quality health care, particularly for children and residents of rural and underserved areas.

Children’s Health Insurance Program

No child should be forced to go without health care because their parents can’t afford insurance.  That’s why I have been a strong supporter of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which helps ensure families can afford to go to the doctor.  I was an original cosponsor of the legislation enacted in 1997.  And in 2007, I supported and pushed repeatedly for passage when the bill was up for renewal, or reauthorization. 

In 2009, after multiple attempts, I was happy to help pass a renewed CHIP bill.  This bill extends health insurance coverage to almost 10 million children – up from the 6 million children currently covered. 

Expanding Health Care Access in Underserved Regions

Too many Washingtonians lack access to a regular doctor, either because they don’t have insurance or because of a shortage of adequate health care providers.  We can see the impact in overcrowded hospital emergency rooms across our state.  I have worked hard to help make health care more accessible.  As a member of both the Budget and Appropriations committees, for example, I have continually fought for increased funding for the Community Health Centers and National Health Service Corps, which help increase health care access to medically underserved populations. 

Other examples of my work to increase access include:

  • The Community Coalitions for Access and Quality Improvement Act of 2007 – I introduced this bill to create a national network of local community health care access coalitions to help ensure all residents of a geographic area can get a broad range of coordinated, high-quality health care services without having to rely on the Emergency Room.
  • Health Care Safety Net Act – In 2007, I cosponsored and helped pass the Health Care Safety Net Act.  The bill reauthorizes the Community Health Centers, which work to increase health care access to medically underserved populations.
  • Health Care Safety Net Authorization Act – In 2002, I helped draft and pass this bill, which provided a comprehensive plan to expand telehealth, in part by establishing Centers of Excellence to help providers expand the use of cameras, computers, and high-speed Internet to connect doctors with patients who are miles away. - More More

Lack of Insurance

Studies estimate that as many as one in 11 Washingtonians does not have health insurance, and around the country, the number of uninsured continues to rise.  Without health insurance, access to health care services is almost impossible.  The result is that we face a startling disparity:  we are one of the richest countries in the world, yet an increasing number of people are unable to afford health care.  I have worked to try to bridge that gap by introducing and supporting legislation and funding for programs, including:

  • Children’s Health Insurance – The so-called CHIP renewal, or reauthorization, would help ensure millions more families can afford to go to the doctor.  I was an original cosponsor of the legislation enacted in 1997.  And in 2007, I supported and pushed repeatedly for reauthorization.  The reauthorization would have extended coverage from the 6 million children currently covered to almost 10 million children.
  • Trauma Care – In 2007, I introduced the National Trauma Center Stabilization Act, to provide federal grants for trauma care centers across the nation.  Nationally, many trauma centers are struggling and even closing their doors because of the increased costs of providing health care and uncompensated charity care.  My bill would protect our trauma centers and reauthorize, strengthen, and modernize the Trauma Center Grant Program.
  • Community and Migrant Health Centers – I have been a strong supporter of Community and Migrant Health Centers which provide preventive and primary health care services in underserved communities.  I worked to reauthorize the program as well as provide additional funding.
  • Community Health Centers and the Community Health Access Program – Both of these programs are vital to our communities because they provide a health care safety net for the most vulnerable members of our society, and I have long fought for more federal investment.
  • Medicaid – As a member of the Senate HELP Committee and the Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee, I have worked to increase the Federal Medicaid match and secure increased Medicaid funds for Washington state.
  • Preventive Care and Childhood Immunizations – Preventive care should be a critical part of our health care system.  Yet uninsured and underinsured families often don’t have the ability to take proactive steps to help their kids stay healthy.  I believe our federal health care programs should emphasize preventive care for all people – particularly children.  That’s why I was an original cosponsor of the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997 and strongly supported its reauthorization in 2007 and its expansion in 2009, and it’s why I have worked hard to support childhood immunization programs.

Shortage of Nurses and Other Health Professionals

Our country is currently facing a critical shortage of nurses and other health care professionals, and the problem is only expected to get more severe as the population ages.  The shortage is increasing the burden on our already strained health care system. 

Affordable health care will not be possible unless we ensure people have doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to provide it.  Addressing this serious problem has been one of my priorities as a member of the Senate HELP, Budget, and Appropriations committees.  

In an effort to understand the scope of the problem in Washington state, and to get ideas for how the federal government can be a better partner, I have held a number of roundtables throughout the state to discuss the causes and impacts of the health care worker shortage and what can be done about it.  I have also secured funding for multiple demonstration projects in Washington state to survey 20,000 Washington nurses about retention issues.  And I have worked on a number of bills to help address this issue, such as:

  • Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007 – I was an original co-sponsor of this bill to reauthorize the National Health Service Corps programs, which help increase health care access to medically underserved populations.  
  • Allied Health Reinvestment Act – Allied health professions are clinical health care professionals who are distinct from medicine and nursing, such as medical assistants, occupational and physical therapists, and pharmacists.  I was an original cosponsor of this bill, which would take a number of steps to promote and support allied health professions.
  • Nurse Reinvestment Act – Signed into law in 2002, this law provides increased scholarships, faculty improvements, and the best practices to retain nurses.
  • National Nurse Service Corps – I have been a longtime supporter of this program, which provides scholarships and loans to nursing students as well as grants to boost nurse retention.
  • National Health Service Corps – Like the Nurse Service Corps, I have been proud to support the Health Service Corps, which helps place medical professionals in areas where they are needed most.  Additionally, the Corps’ “Scholars Program” identifies and sponsors future health care providers.
  • Title VII and VIII Health Professions – As a member of both the Budget and Appropriations committees, I have worked hard to secure funding for Title VII and VIII Health Professions.  This funding supports the training of nurses and other primary care medical personnel, and it helps encourage health professionals to practice in medically underserved areas.
  • Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program – I was proud to help secure $301 million in the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill for this program, which supports the training of pediatric and other residents in graduate medical education programs. 

Lack of Access – Fewer Doctors Accepting Medicare

Over the past few years, many physicians in Washington state have made the difficult decision to reassess whether they will treat Medicare patients.  Some have decided to turn away new Medicare patients, while others have dropped Medicare patients altogether.  Their decisions are due, in large part, to the amount they are reimbursed by the federal government for treating Medicare recipients.  Medicare law specifies a formula for calculating the annual update in payments for physicians’ services, and beginning in 2002, the updates actually resulted in payment cuts.    

In Washington state, Medicare reimbursement rates currently penalize patients and providers.  The reimbursement system is based on an outdated reimbursement scale generated from cost of living, patient utilization, and health care costs among states.  Washington has a tradition of efficient health care and healthy seniors, therefore health care costs are much lower in Washington than in other states.  As a result, doctors and providers are reimbursed at a dramatically lower rate, and many Medicare providers have moved to states with higher reimbursement rates.

We desperately need to change the way physicians are paid.  If we don’t, physicians and Medicare beneficiaries across the country will continue to be adversely impacted.  In the Senate, I have been an advocate for our doctors by fighting against Medicare physician payment cuts.  My work includes:

  • Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 – As a member of the Democratic Leadership, I worked with my colleagues to help pass the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which postponed an impending physician reimbursement rate cut for 18 months and increased physician payment by 1.1 percent for 2009.
  • 2007 Medicare-CHIP Extender Package – I supported the 2007 Medicare-CHIP Extender Package, which stopped a scheduled 10 percent rate cut and replaced it with a 0.5 percent increase through June 30, 2008.
  • MediFair Act – In 2002, I introduced the MediFair Act for the first time, and I have introduced it in every Congress since because we need to ensure that no state receives less than the national average of Medicare reimbursement rates.  The bill would also substantially increase rates for providers in Washington state. 

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Mental Health

Access to mental health care is as important as access to physical health care.  Yet our health care system hasn’t recognized that fact.  Too many Americans have sought mental health care, only to be burdened by high deductibles and co-payments.  In the Senate, I’ve fought to ensure more Americans can get access to mental health care.  For example, I supported and worked to strengthen the Mental Health Parity Act, which became law in 2008.  This important new law sets a federal standard that will make mental health care coverage more equitable, accessible, and affordable.

In addition, I supported and helped pass the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which lowers co-payments for seniors’ mental health services.

Rural Health

Access to health care is a problem in many rural communities, either because there aren’t enough doctors or because appropriate care isn’t available nearby.  As a Senator from a large, rural state, one of my goals has been to improve health care in rural communities by both expanding access and improving the quality of care.  My work includes:

  • Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2007 – I was an original cosponsor on this bill to create a fund for small-town hospitals, boost payments to rural ambulance units, and fix Medicare payments for rural providers.
  • Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 – This legislation, which became law in July 2008, contains many provisions that are particularly beneficial to rural areas, such as increasing payments to sole community and critical-access hospitals, increasing Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas, and extending the minimum payment adjustments for physicians in rural areas. 
  • Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007 – I am a cosponsor of this bill to improve health care access, particularly in rural areas.  This bill includes a reauthorization of the Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corp programs, both of which work to increase health care access to medically underserved populations.  The National Health Service Corps provides scholarships and loan repayments for doctors, nurses and other health professionals who commit to practice in medically underserved areas.  Community Health Centers provide family-oriented primary and preventive health care services for people living in rural and urban medically underserved communities.  I have also worked to increase appropriations for these valuable programs.   

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Increasing Affordability

If we are going to fix our nation’s broken health care system, we must control the cost of health care and increase access to affordable health insurance.  I believe that by identifying and tackling the issues that are driving up costs, we can make health care less expensive – which is one of my top goals as a member of both the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services.

Prescription Drugs

One significant way we can reduce costs is to get prescription drug costs under control.  Prescription drugs are a critical component of modern medical care.  Yet in recent years, the cost of prescription drugs has skyrocketed, even while seniors have seen their health benefits decline.  As a result, seniors are paying much more out-of-pocket.  The cost for prescriptions is one of the biggest barriers to health care for seniors.  We must find a solution that ensures seniors don’t have to choose between paying for food and heat or health care.  I believe that by expanding Medicare coverage to include a comprehensive, affordable, voluntary prescription drug plan, and by expanding the availability of generic drugs we can help ensure seniors can get the health care they need.

In the Senate, I have worked to expand access to prescription drugs and make them more affordable, while at the same time safeguarding Washington residents from harmful drugs and misleading advertising.   For example, I helped write legislation to make generic drugs available faster without jeopardizing true innovation.  The bill would close frivolous loopholes that drug makers have used to delay generics. 

In addition, I have supported bills, including:

  • Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 – This legislation would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower drug prices. 
  • Drug Rebate Equalization Act of 2007 – I cosponsored this bill to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for enrollees of Medicaid managed care organizations by extending them the discounts offered under fee-for-service Medicaid plans.
  • Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2007 – This legislation would provide an approval pathway for safe biosimilar and interchangeable biological products, such as vaccines, blood and blood components, allergenics, and gene therapy.  I helped pass this bill out of committee to provide consumers with more drug choices and – hopefully – lower costs for prescription drugs. 
  • Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act – In 2002, I worked to pass this bill, which rewards research and development and improves market access for generic prescription drugs.

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Decreasing Long-term Costs Through Treatment and Prevention

Health care could become more affordable for all Americans if we put more emphasis on treatment and preventive care.  Early detection and screening are key elements to cutting down our health care costs, as well as increasing people’s chances of recovering from serious diseases and conditions.  I have supported legislation and funding for programs that would encourage such efforts, including:

  • Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act – I helped pass this bill out of Committee.  It would protect the public health by providing the FDA with certain authority to regulate tobacco products.
  • National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 – I cosponsored this bill, which is now law, to help low-income, uninsured, and underserved women gain access to lifesaving screening programs for early detection of breast and cervical cancers.
  • Poison Control Centers – In 2008, I introduced a bill with Senator Burr (R-NC) to reauthorize this important program.  And throughout my time in the Senate, I have fought for more funding for Poison Control Centers.  The centers, which are staffed by toxicologists, nurses, and other professionals, operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Each year, they help millions of Americans get appropriate emergency information about how to respond to poison exposure.  The Health Resources and Services Administration estimates that the network of poison control centers saves approximately $1 billion annually in unnecessary federal health care costs.
  • Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Health Care Amendments – In 2007, I introduced this bill to enhance the awareness and understanding of lupus by the public and health professionals.  The bill would also strengthen the nation’s research efforts to identify the causes and cure for lupus.
  • Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act – I cosponsored this bill in 2007 to establish a grant program to provide education and outreach on newborn screening.
  • Ryan White AIDS Program – I have been a strong supporter of increased funding for the Ryan White program, which helps provide care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured victims of AIDS and their families.
  • Family Planning – Widespread use of birth control is a critical component of preventive health care for women, and it is a driving force in reducing national rates of unintended pregnancies, STDs, and abortion.  I have fought throughout my career for increases in funding for family planning programs. 
  • Stem Cell Research – Scientists believe that embryonic stem cell research could lead to better understanding, treatments – and possibly cures – for a huge number of devastating diseases and conditions, from cancer to Parkinson’s Disease to diabetes.  I have fought to fund and expand embryonic stem cell research in this country.

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Innovation and Research

Research is critical if we are going to continue to make technological advances that help ensure we can offer the best health care possible.  I’m proud of the great medical and scientific research being done in Washington state and throughout the country.  I believe we must continue to support vital research with federal dollars, and I’ve worked hard for legislation and funding that will expand our efforts, including:

  • Investments in Health Information Technology – I was proud to support the $19 billion included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Health IT.  Health IT systems have the potential to save billions through cutting waste and eliminating the need to repeat medical tests, and save lives by reducing medical errors.
  • Wired for Health Care Quality Act – I helped pass this bill out of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to give health care providers the assistance they need to invest in lifesaving health information technology.
  • Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 – I cosponsored and fought for this bill, which would allow scientists to capitalize on embryonic stem cell research without creating incentives for ethically questionable practices. 
  • Federal Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 – This bill, also called PDUFA, is now law.  It speeds up the drug approval process without sacrificing safety. 
  • National Institutes of Health – In 1998, I joined Congress in a landmark plan to double funding for the National Institutes of Health – a goal that was met in fiscal year 2003.  Since then, I have continued to support increased NIH funding to ensure that there are enough trained professionals ready to turn today’s research advances into tomorrow’s treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, and cures.