Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Health Care
Wyden, Roberts Requires Changes to Medicare Hospice Reimbursement be Vetted by Pilot Program
Washington, D.C. - In an effort to protect and maintain hospice services for Medicare beneficiaries U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Pat Roberts (R-Ks.) introduced the Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment (HELP) Act. This legislation would require any changes to hospice Medicare reimbursements be tested for two years in a pilot program to ensure they do not harm hospice centers in a way that would limit access to those who need it most. "With changes to the hospice Medicare … Continue Reading
March 17, 2011
Wyden, Barrasso Bill Will Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Seniors on Medicare
Washington, D.C. - In an effort to close a workforce gap in mental health practitioners that leaves more than 77 million older Americans without adequate access to mental health treatment, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act legislation today that will lift some restrictions on Medicare reimbursement for Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists. "Mental health is an important part of battling … Continue Reading
January 13, 2011
OREGON DELEGATION URGES SEC. SHINSEKI TO INTERVENE, REDIRECT ROSEBURG VA HOSPITAL STUDY
WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-4) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) sent a letter to Secretary of the Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki requesting that he intervene and correct a Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) study concerning the future of the Roseburg Oregon VA Medical Center (RVAMC). The letter states "We are troubled that the VA has spent $400,000 on this independent study that has little value for veterans or taxpayers. Rather it appears BAH worked … Continue Reading
January 12, 2011
Senator Wyden Urges Eligible Combat Vets to Enroll for VA Health Care Before Deadline
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is encouraging eligible combat veterans to sign up for enhanced health care services before the January 27th deadline. The enhanced enrollment window gave combat veterans who separated from service before January 28, 2003, an extra three years to be grandfathered in under Veterans Affairs health care rules that have since changed. "Since these men and women served, the VA's healthcare rules have changed in ways that could affect them," Wyden … Continue Reading
February 24, 2010
Statement on Bennet Letter Urging Use of Budget Reconciliation to Pass a Public Health Insurance Option
Washington, D.C. - Jennifer Hoelzer, Communications Director for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), issued the following statement today in response to requests that Senator Wyden sign Senator Michael Bennet's (D-CO) letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) urging use of budget reconciliation to pass a public health insurance option:"Over the last few days, many Oregonians have been calling our offices asking Senator Wyden to sign Senator Bennet's letter urging the use of budget … Continue Reading
December 24, 2009
Wyden Calls Senate Health Reform Bill a "Start"
Washington, D.C.- Three years and eleven days after first introducing his own legislation to reform the nation's health care system, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined his Senate colleagues this morning to pass the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," comprehensive health reform legislation that Wyden says lays the foundation for many of the reforms he has long been fighting for. "We've always known that the path to reforming the nation's health care system was going to be long … Continue Reading
December 10, 2009
Wyden, Collins Find Bipartisan Ground
Washington, D.C.-. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today filed three bipartisan amendments to the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." If adopted, the amendments will improve the Senate bill by doing more to hold down premium increases for all Americans while expanding health care choices for more Americans and their employers. "At the end of the day, Americans don't care if a health reform proposal originated with a Democrat or a Republican, what … Continue Reading
December 10, 2009
Wyden, Collins Find Bipartisan Ground
Washington, D.C.-. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today filed three bipartisan amendments to the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." If adopted, the amendments will improve the Senate bill by doing more to hold down premium increases for all Americans while expanding health care choices for more Americans and their employers. "At the end of the day, Americans don't care if a health reform proposal originated with a Democrat or a Republican, what … Continue Reading
October 30, 2009
10 Senators Ask Reid to Expand Access to the Health Care Exchanges
Washington, D.C. - Nine Democratic senators joined U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today in expressing support for a version of Wyden's Free Choice proposal which would promote real competition among health insurers by increasing the number of Americans able to choose plans in the new health insurance exchanges. In a letter (below) addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Barbara … Continue Reading
October 26, 2009
Senator Wyden Responds to Majority Leader Reid's Decision on Public Option
Washington, D.C.-. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader Reid's decision to include a public option with an opt-out provision in the Senate health reform legislation: "I agree with Senator Reid that health reform should give Americans more options. Now, I want to work with him to ensure that all Americans can choose those options. The bottom line is that the public option can't really hold private insurers accountable if it is … Continue Reading
October 14, 2009
Three More Wyden Amendments Included in America's Healthy Future Act; Ten Total
Washington, D.C. - Three amendments written by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) were accepted to the final version of the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009. Ten Wyden-authored amendments are included in total. The "Rewarding High Quality Medicare Advantage Plans" amendment will provide incentives for providing high-quality care by increasing payments for Medicare Advantage plans that voluntarily improve their services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) score Medicare … Continue Reading
October 13, 2009
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden: Statement announcing his vote to pass "America's Healthy Future Act" out of committee
Mr. Chairman and Colleagues, I think we all understand that health Reform legislation is unlike any other bill. Apart from the fact that it affects all Americans and our entire economy, writing a health reform bill is fundamentally different than anything else the Congress does.Take for example an appropriations bill or a tax bill, these kinds of bills are largely collections of a variety of different provisions, some of which are so important to a particular a state or a particular Senator … Continue Reading
September 29, 2009
Wyden Votes for Public Option
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today released the following statement regarding his vote in the Senate Finance Committee in favor of the public option:"The legislation before us currently does not offer enough real competition to keep Americans from continuing to be abused by health insurers and held captive by large employers. Without the ability to hold insurers accountable for their costs and quality of service, without the ability to get a better deal and stop the … Continue Reading
September 23, 2009
Seven Wyden Amendments Adopted on First Day of Revision of America's Healthy Future Act
Washington, D.C. - Seven amendments written by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) were accepted today for inclusion in the revised Chairman's Mark of the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009.· The "Exchange Plans as Good As Members of Congress" amendment ensures that all Americans will be able to have a health insurance policy option available to them through their state exchange that is actuarially equivalent to the plans that their Members of Congress can choose. At least one plan … Continue Reading
September 17, 2009
Wyden, Oregon AFL-CIO Agree: Finance Committee Health Plan Hurts Middle-Class Oregonians
Portland, OR -- Senator Ron Wyden and Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain said today they agree that the health care reform plan released by the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is unaffordable for middle class families. Although they haven't agreed on every element of health care reform, Wyden and Chamberlain said they have strong agreement on one key issue: affordability must be part of any plan and it is not currently part of the plan released Wednesday by Senator Max Baucus. … Continue Reading
August 07, 2009
Senators Chart New Course for Fighting Chronic Disease in Medicare Patients
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Helping Congress deliver on its pledge to reduce health care costs and improve Americans' health, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Take Back Your Health Act of 2009 (S. 1640), with cosponsors U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The bill creates a new Medicare program based on what are known as "comprehensive lifestyle programs" that have proven to cut the costs of treatment for chronic diseases. The Take Back Your Health Act embraces a … Continue Reading
June 25, 2009
Wyden, Barrasso Legislation Will Improve Access to Rural Health Clinics
Washington, D.C. - Ensuring that Americans in rural areas have access to quality health care, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced the Rural Health Clinic Patient Access and Improvement Act of 2009, which addresses long standing underpayments to rural health clinics, introduces a quality improvement program to RHCs, and provides incentives to recruit and retain medical professionals to rural areas. "Oregonians in rural areas have the same right to … Continue Reading
June 16, 2009
Wyden Spells Out Health Reform Challenges
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) spoke on the Senate floor today, laying out what he sees as the key components required to enact true health care reform. The text of the speech follows: Mr. President, many senators on both sides of the aisle are working constructively to fix American health care, and for several years I have spent time listening to colleagues - going to the offices of about 85 Senators and at least that many in the House - and also listening to thousands in … Continue Reading
June 09, 2009
Wyden "Trigger" Rumors are "False"
"There is a rumor making the rounds that Sen. Wyden supports the Snowe proposal for a public option "trigger." That rumor is false. It never happened and he has at no time expressed support for this idea."As happens so often both around Congress and across the Internet, false information gets spread and repeated until even well-meaning commentators begin to adopt and repeat the false information as if it were fact. This appears to have happened with former Secretary Reich, and we … Continue Reading
June 04, 2009
Wyden Promotes Strategy to Cut Medicare Costs
Washington, D.C. - Seeking to curb the cost of Medicare by promoting healthy lifestyles that lower the incidence of chronic disease, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced the "Healthy Living, Healthy Aging Demonstration Project Act of 2009." The legislation would establish a demonstration project to evaluate strategies to lower rates of chronic disease for individuals who are about to enter the Medicare program. Up to six eligible partnerships between public health departments and … Continue Reading
