H-1404              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4013

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Braddock, Ballard, Hine, Day, Cantwell, Unsoeld, Walker, Sprenkle, Allen, Sutherland, Patrick, Brooks, Moyer, D. Sommers, Betrozoff, May, Kremen and Miller

Read first time 2/11/87 and referred to Committee on Health Care.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The Medicare program was established under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965 and is a federally managed program; and

          WHEREAS, The Medicare program affects state as well as national interests; and

          WHEREAS, An increasing senior population and a resulting decrease in the proportion of workers to beneficiaries have placed the program at risk of becoming actuarially unsound; and

          WHEREAS, General inflation and advances in medical treatment and technology have contributed to rising health care costs; and

          WHEREAS, The Medicare program does not now contain an adequate mechanism for ensuring that the health care needs of the poor elderly and the near-poor elderly are met; and

          WHEREAS, The Medicare program does not currently cover the costs of long-term health care; and

          WHEREAS, The current physician payment system inequitably reimburses for different levels of care; and

          WHEREAS, The paperwork required, for both the beneficiaries and the providers, is complicated and voluminous;

          NOW, THEREFORE, your Memorialists respectfully request Congress to reform Title XVIII of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965 in order to address the preceding concerns and ensure access to quality health care for all seniors.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.