Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990                   TAG: 9003042096
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOUSE LEADERS BACK RESTORING HEALTH BENEFITS/ 80-CENT MEDICARE MONTHLY

The benefits, which had been sought by health groups and the elderly, include breast cancer screening, respite care for those staying with the elderly and expanded hospice and home health care.

They would be financed by an 80-cent increase in monthly Medicare premiums. "While we are all aware of the controversy that led to the demise of the Medicare catastrophic coverage program, there was little controversy over the four benefits included in the proposed bill," said Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who is chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on health.

The original legislation, intended to protect older Americans against the high cost of major illness, was repealed after the protests of thousands of better-off older American over a surtax they paid to help finance it.

The American Association of Retired Persons said it viewed the proposed increased premium in the new proposal as "an extraordinary step that is acceptable only because the premium increase in this case is so small."

Lovola Burgess, vice president of the AARP, applauded the bill.

Stark was joined in sponsoring the measure by Rep. Bill Gradison of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee; Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, and Rep. Edward Madigan of Illinois, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee. The bill has 99 co-sponsors.

The proposed measure, the Medicare Benefit Improvements Act, would raise the Part B Medicare monthly premium to $29.40 from $28.60.

Although the bill has the broad support of health groups and groups representing the elderly, some members of Congress say they oppose a piecemeal restoration of the defunct major care bill. They say they favor a more deliberative examination of the problems of health care for the elderly.

Rep. Brian J. Donnelly, D-Mass., who led the effort to repeal the coverage for major illness, objected to the mandatory increase in the Part B premium for fear it would touch off protests.

Breast cancer screening is not currently provided under Medicare, which already benefits some disabled younger people.

The proposed bill would cover a first screening for women 35 to 39 years old and screenings every two years for those 40 to 49, except for women determined to be at high risk, who would receive annual screenings. Annual screenings would also be covered for women 50 to 64.

Although the incidence of breast cancer increases with a woman's age, the bill would provide screenings only every two years for women 65 and older. An aide to Stark said the decision was based on cost.

The proposed law would remove the ceiling on hospice care for the terminally ill, permitting such care beyond the current limit of 210 days.

It would also cover home health care seven days a week for up to 38 days, as against the current maximum of five days a week for up to three consecutive weeks.

The Medicare program does not currently provide coverage for respite care, in which homemakers, home health aides or others relieve those who care for sick patients in their own homes.

The proposed measure would provide up to 80 hours of respite care a year to those dependent on a voluntary caregiver and who had annual out-of-pocket expenses exceeding $1,780.

Dr. Gerald D. Dodd, president-elect of the American Cancer Society, told a subcommittee hearing that while incidence rates of breast cancer are increasing, early detection and improved treatment had kept mortality rates for the disease fairly stable over the past 50 years.