Hospital Coalition Ad Urges Congress to Act on Medicare ‘Givebacks’
The Coalition to Protect America's Health Care released a new ad this week urging Congress to use part of the budget surplus to help hospitals impacted by cuts to Medicare funding under the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. CPACH, a group of more than 250 businesses, hospitals and hospital associations, has released two earlier ads, both featuring registered nurse Claire Panke, who discussed the effect of the cutback on hospitals. In the new ad, Panke states: "Three years ago, Congress and the White House cut funding to our hospitals to help balance the federal budget. But the cuts went too deep. So now we have a crisis in our hospitals and a huge budget surplus." She continues, "Congress is about to quit for the year, and they may not do anything about a problem that's getting worse every day. If Congress doesn't do their job, my patients will suffer." Panke concludes, "Tell Congress and the White House to restore funding to our hospitals." The ad is running in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. (Wagner, NationalJournal.com, 11/17). To view the ad, go to http://www.kaisernetwork.org/adwatch/adwatch_index.cfm?display=detail&aw=151. Note: You will need RealPlayer G2 to view the ad.
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