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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 27, 1995                   TAG: 9509270033
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

BOUCHER ATTACKS GOP HEALTH-CARE FUNDING PROPOSAL

If the Republicans have their way, Rep. Rick Boucher said Tuesday, more than half of Southwest Virginia's residents might go without health care.

The Abingdon Democrat held a news conference at Virginia Tech's Corporate Research Center to attack a Republican proposal discussed this week.

The proposal, which has not developed into legislation yet, would cut Medicare funding by $270 billion and Medicaid funding by $80 billion over the next seven years.

"This is unacceptable," Boucher said. The proposals "are ill-considered and reflect an insensitivity to the needs of senior citizens and hospital users in rural America."

Boucher, who represents most of Southwest Virginia west of Salem, said he's been meeting with hospital administrators in the area. He estimated that on average, 66 percent of Southwest Virginia's hospital patients use either Medicare or Medicaid to help pay medical bills. In coal producing areas, like Lee and Tazewell Counties, the numbers are closer to 80 percent.

Under the Republican plan, monthly Medicare premiums would increase from $46.10 today to $93 by the year 2002. That, Boucher said, could cause seniors to avoid medical treatment until an illness is extremely severe or force a low-income family to choose between medicine or food.

Plus, Boucher said, the cuts could make hospitals in this area reduce nonemergency services.

Boucher admitted the health care subsidy programs need to be reformed, but said they are not going bankrupt, as many Republicans are claiming.

He said cutting $270 billion goes far beyond what's necessary.

There is a $90 billion shortfall in Medicare funding, he said, and that's limited to just one part of the program. Finding that $90 billion in funding could come from basic accounting changes and other managerial reforms.

Democrats have yet to draft any Medicare reform proposals. Boucher said he's willing to work with Republicans to come up with reasonable changes that could make up for the shortfall.

"Before we do that, though, we have to agree how much reform is necessary, and [Democrats] aren't willing to go beyond that $90 billion," he said.

by CNB