Copyright 1999 Star Tribune
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis, MN)
September 26, 1999, Sunday, Metro Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 9A
LENGTH: 285 words
HEADLINE:
Bills would cut Medicare red tape for new devices
BYLINE: Coralie Carlson; Staff Writer
DATELINE: Washington, D.C.
BODY:
Minnesota Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad's
attempt to make new medical technology available to Medicare
patients is gaining steam in Congress.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, announced
Thursday that he is introducing legislation to streamline
Medicare's process for approve new technology. Ramstad, who
represents Minnesota's "medical alley," with more than 300
medical-device companies, introduced a similar bill in the
House in June.
The legislation is designed
to speed approval for new technology such as "coronary stents," heart devices
that improve blood flow through arteries. Red tape delayed approval for coronary
stents for 4 years, according to Dr. David Holmes Jr., of the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn. Medicare was slow to approve the use of the
devices, and hospitals were forced to absorb the cost of coronary stents for
Medicare patients or opt for different treatment methods,
Holmes said.
"These bureaucratic games are
not fair to Medicare beneficiaries who need life-saving
innovations," Ramstad said Thursday.
Ramstad said his bill, which would cost
about $700 million over five years, will be included in
Medicare legislation this year.
Meanwhile, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.,
announced a plan Thursday that he said would help as many as 31 million
Medicare patients pay for prescription drugs.
The legislation, cosponsored by Rep.
Michael Bilirakis, R-Fla., would provide money to states for prescription drug
programs and directly help low-income patients and those with high drug costs.
Peterson said his plan is more limited and
should cost significantly less than President Clinton's proposal, which would
cover all Americans.
LOAD-DATE: September 27,
1999 
