Mr. HORTON. In connection with your statement, are you satisfied with the plan that has been presented? And when I say are you satisfied, are you as president of the guild satisfied, are your members satisfied with the program that is proposed in the plan of the public health program. Mr. TEUNIS. I'm sorry, sir. I do not have available a copy of the plan of the Health Department. Would that be the so-called rules and regulations? Mr. HORTON. No, I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about the whole plan. I am talking about the plan that you referred to. It did permit reasonable charges. Are you satisfied with that part of the plan as it affects your Mr. TEUNIS. I'm not familiar at all. I haven't seen it. I'm not sure what the plan is, as far as the obtaining of eyeglasses is concerned. Mr. HORTON. All right. Thank you. Mr. DOWDY. Thank you, sir. Mr. HORTON. Mr. Chairman, could I make a statement? Mr. DOWDY. Yes. Mr. HORTON. Mr. Chairman, I first of all, want to commend you as the chairman of this subcommittee for having these hearings and for your diligence and patience, hearing these various witnesses. I assume from the list that we have here today that this concludes the witnesses that have indicated a desire to be heard. But I want to commend you for having these hearings, and I might point out that these hearings have been held over a period of I think 6 weeks, and everybody in this community has been given an opportunity to be heard on this subject. Now, this subject is a very controversial subject in many States and many jurisdictions. But I am impressed that in this community, because of great advance work done by the Commissioners in planning this type of approach to this problem, and by the Department of Public Health, and certainly it must be a great credit to Dr. Grant— but also to those hundred people representing this community that worked on this plan, that they have really made a proposal here, which, insofar as I have been able to determine is a noncontroversial proposal, because of all the witnesses we have heard we have heard none that have indicated any opposition to this enabling legislation. As a matter of fact, even though there are some reservations with regard to some of the details of the plan, the community from every type of organization that you can imagine has indicated approval of this legislation. I want also to make mention of the fact, Mr. Chairman, that this legislation has bipartisan support and I am very proud of that because I know the chairman of this committee, Mr. McMillan-I have a great deal of respect for Mr. McMillan-Mr. McMillan, chairman of this committee has felt the importance of this legislation so much so that he has introduced a bill, and it is one of the bills we have been considering. But moreover, the ranking republican on this committee, Mr. Nelsen has also introduced identical legislation which indicates a bipartisan approach to this program-to this enabling legislation. I am very proud of the fact this committee has men of this caliber and men who have seen this need and who feel so strongly about it that they have introduced their own legislation. I think this is a very important matter to the District of Columbia. I think it is important for us to take immediate action on this so we can give the enabling legislation to the Commissioners and to the District so they can proceed forthwith to implement this enabling legislation with this plan. Again, Mr. Chairman, I just feel that we've got to go out of our way to commend the Commissioners for setting up this type of a program shortly after this legislation was enacted by the Congress in 1965. The Commissioners designated the Department of Public Health as the agency to administer the plan under title XIX and then the Department immediately set out to organize an effort to study this whole program, the whole plan, and then that committee, over 100 individuals, worked diligently through eight subcommittees and then came out back with a plan which was submitted, and, as far as I can determine has the unanimous approval of this community. By this careful consideration, by the great efforts and time devoted to this by these many people from all walks of life in this community, they have literally taken away the controversy and have come up with a plan which I think we can very easily recommend to the full committee. Mr. Chairman, I note the full committee is meeting on Thursday of this week, and I would hope we can in executive session following this hearing give consideration to this bill so we can report on Mr. McMillan's bill, and can have some consideration of it again this Thursday. So, Mr. Chairman, I would again like to thank the witnesses that have appeared and say to them that they have, I think, rendered a great service to this community and also suggest to you that we do leave the record open for a week so if we do have any people who would like to file additional statements they can do so, and also to say to the radio, television, and press of this community-because they have certainly given great publicity to this subject-say to them a word of thanks for publicizing these hearings and publicizing this program. So, Mr. Chairman, I would hope that we can report out of Mr. McMillan's bill so the full House can exercise its will on this very important subject. Mr. SPRINGER. Mr. Chairman. Mr. DowDY. Yes. Mr. SPRINGER. May I ask a question of Dr. Grant? Mr. Dowdy. All right. Mr. SPRINGER. Dr. Grant, you are in the District of Columbia government? Dr. GRANT. Yes, sir. I am Director of the District of Columbia Department of Public Health. Mr. SPRINGER. Does Maryland have such a statute? Dr. GRANT. Maryland is participating in title XIX. Mr. SPRINGER. Most of the States have passed legislation, passed approximately the same legislation? Dr. GRANT. I can't answer that, Mr. Springer, because the legislation that each State has passed depends a great deal on the require ments of that particular State. Each State has already established laws that made inevitable certain changes that they had to bring about in order to participate in this program. Mr. SPRINGER. Let me ask you, have you had any experience with this at all? Dr. GRANT. You mean, have the other States had experience? Mr. SPRINGER. This is the problem I want to bring forward. just had a letter from one of the most respected persons in my congressional district. He wasn't complaining about the law, he was in agreement that they ought to have a medicaid law. But went on for some two paragraphs, and if he hadn't been a person whom I had a great deal of confidence and faith in, I would have filed the letter with a short reply. But I had my staff go into this and what he said was, that although he happened to be in a business himself, from which he was retired, he said, "I haven't had my auditors run the time that it took to get all of medicaid prescribed under this bill.” But he said, "I would think from the preliminary information that I had that it cost me about as much to get the medicaid as medicaid was worth." Dr. GRANT. Mr. Springer, I wonder if that individual is referring to medicaid or medicare? There is a great deal of difference between these two items. I would hazard a guess without really knowing, that he probably was referring to medicare, because the procedure for the medicare program has been established by the Federal Government and are uniform throughout the country. I must admit they are rather complex, sir. Under the medicaid program, however, the procedures can be established by the State, and in our case by the District of Columbia, and we are hoping to set up as simple a procedure as we possibly can. Mr. SPRINGER. No quadruplicates, I hope to fill out. Dr. GRANT. No, sir. Mr. SPRINGER. I just want to be sure. I am going to go back to look at the letter to be sure. I was almost positive the words he used was the word "medicaid." I thank you for your statement. Dr. GRANT. Thank you. Dr. DOWDY. Dr. Grant, do you have some further observations you wanted to make? Dr. GRANT. The only thing I would say, Mr. Chairman, firstly, is to express my appreciation to Mr. Horton for what I think was a very fine statement in regard to this bill. As you know, Mr. Chairman, this is probably one of the most important items of legislation that we could seek in the District of Columbia because it has very far reaching potential effects upon the health programs for the citizens of this city. We feel that we have given long study and deliberation to this question, to the development of a plan, and we believe that the implementation of this program is really urgent and extremely important for the District. We are very anxious to have this bill enacted into law and hope that this subcommittee will see this in the same manner. Mr. DowDY. Any questions? Thank you, sir. We'll leave the record open until next Tuesday for anybody who might want to file statements for the record. I have two statements here. One, Helen E. Reeder, director, Citizens Concerns for Better Living Cooperation, Golden Eagles of Southwest, for the record, and one from Miss Christine White, president, Citizens Concerns for Better Living Cooperation, both in support, and will be made part of the record. (The statements referred to follow :) CITIZENS CONCERNS FOR BETTER LIVING, GOLDEN EAGLES, Hon. JOHN DOWDY, Chairman, House District Subcommittee No. 3, DEAR CONGRESSMAN DOWDY: The "Citizens Concerns for Better Living Cooperation" takes this opportunity to express strong support for the enactment of H.R. 3972, to enable the D.C., to participate in the Health and Medical Assistance Benefits made available by the Social Security Amendments of 1965. Public Law 89-97 Enactment of HR. 3972 would enable the District of Columbia to share in Federal Aid for improved programs of Medical Assistance that was made available as a matter of national policy, by the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. Twenty-eight (28) states. Territories now have new Medicare Assistance plans approved under Title XIX of that act. Some of these states, like the District of Columbia, have had to seek revision of the statutory from work of their tax supported health care programs before they could meet the conditions of approval under the "New Federal Grant Program." HR 3972 would authorize the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia to establish by regulations the policies and procedures that are necessary steps before the District can obtain the Federal Matching Grant that first became available on January 1, 1966. The "Citizens Concern for Better Living Cooperation", therefore strongly supports enactment of HR 3972. We earnestly urge your favorable consideration for Chairman, House District Subcommittee No. 3, DEAR CONGRESSMAN DOWDY: The "Citizens Concerns for Better Living Cooperation" takes this opportunity to express strong support for the enactment of HR 3972, to enable the District of Columbia to participate in the Health and Medical Assistance Benefits made available by the Social Security Amendments of 1965. Public Law 89-97. Enactment of HR 3972 would enable the District of Columbia to share in Federal Aid for improved programs of Medical Assistance that was made available as a matter of National Policy, by the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. Twenty-eight States-Territories now have new Medical Assistance plans approved under Title XIX of that act. Some of these States, like the District of Columbia, have had to seek revision of the statutory from work of their tax supported health care programs before they could meet the conditions of approval under the "New Federal Grant Program". HR 3972 would authorize the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, to establish by regulation the policies and procedures that are necessary steps before the District can obtain the Federal Matching Grant that first became available on January 1st of last year. The "Citizens Concerns for Better Living Cooperation," therefore strongly supports enactment of HR 3972. We earnestly urge your favorable Consideration for HR 3972. Very sincerely, Mrs. CHRISTINE WHITE, President. (The following additional letters were received for the record:) NEW YORK STATE TUBERCULOSIS AND Hon. FRANK J. HORTON, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. HORTON: Because of your membersrip on the District of Columbia Committee, I respectfully urge you to supporr the passage of HR-3972—a bill to enable the District of Columbia to participate in the health and medical assistance benefits made available by the Social Security Amendments of 1965, Public Law 89-97. I find it exceedingly difficult to understand why the residents of the District should not have the same privileges as those of us who live outside the District in other states of the United States. It is with this thought in mind that I ask your favorable consideration of this bill and your active support of its passage. Incidentally, I am sure that you are aware of benefits which are possible for patients suffering from tuberculosis and other chronic respiratory diseases under the provisions of Public Law 89-97. Here again, I feel sure that the same kinds of benefits should be available to patients with tuberculosis and respiratory disease in the District of Columbia. Once again, may I respectfully request your support for passage of this .bill. Sincerely yours, ROBERT D. RAGSDALE, Hon. FRANK J. HORTON, HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF WAYNE COUNTY, INC., DEAR MR. HORTON: The Board of Directors and Staff of the Health Association of Wayne County, Inc., respectfully urge you to support the passage of HR-3972-a Bill to enable the District of Columbia to participate in the Health and Medical Assistance Benefits made available by the Social Security Amendments of 1965, Public Law 89-97. We can see no reason why the citizens of the District of Columbia should be deprived of this coverage that all the rest of the States have. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely yours, Mrs. HAZEL L. PERRELS, Executive Director. SOCIAL HYGIENE SOCIETY OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON, Hon. THOMAS G. ABERNETHY, DEAR CONGRESSMAN ABERNETHY: The Social Hygiene Society of Metropolitan Washington wishes to go on record in support for enactment of HR 3972. Passage of this bill is urgently needed in order that the District of Columbia Commisisoners may undertake the necessary steps to qualify for Federal aid 76-307-67- -7 |