Tzipporah.Benavraham@f632.n278.z1.fidonet.org (Tzipporah Benavraham) (05/24/91)
Index Number: 15791 05/13 1638 SEN. HARKIN PROPOSES HEALTH CARE REFORMS IN ... WASHINGTON (MAY 13) - Sen Tom Harkin (D-IA), in an address to the American Physical Therapy Association, detailed his initiative for health care legislation emphasizing preventive measures as a way to reduce costs to society. "If you qualify for medicaid...and you have breast cancer, (medicaid) will pay for a radical mastectomy, upwards of maybe $15,000," Harkin said. "But we won't pay 75 lousy bucks every year for a woman to have a free mammogram screening to catch it early and prevent it. That doesn't make sense." Harkin also alluded to personal experiences with the physically disabled in mentioning a nephew who is a quadraplegic and a brother who is deaf to encourage the American Physical Therapy Association to lobby Congress for additional funding for health care. "Last year I increased the funds for health professionals training from $214 million to $245 million," Harkin said. He later added, "Without a physical therapist, my nephew would probably be sitting at home, wasting away, not able to participate in the workplace." Harkin's reference to his preventive measures initiative included the following: - Making healthcare programs a part of daycare for children. - Putting a "wellness center" in every workplace in America to aid with ad- ministering health care to businesses. - In senior citizen centers, congregate meal sites, "meals on wheels" and health care to save costs. This transcript runs 10 pages. For a complete transcript call Federal News Service at 1-800-969-3677 Ask for transcript 1391.h -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!278!632!Tzipporah.Benavraham Internet: Tzipporah.Benavraham@f632.n278.z1.fidonet.org