Nick Smith Consulting
Health Care Press Releases
10/01/2004 Smith Comments on Ethics Committee Report
Congressman Nick Smith (R-Addison) released the following statement on the report of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct issued on September 30:
07/12/2004 Copy of Rep. Smith letter regarding Calhoun Hospital Reimbursement
Rep. Nick Smith sent the following letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on behalf of Battle Creek Health Systems and Oaklawn Hospital in Calhoun County. These two acute care facilities stand to lose $6.6 million in Medicare payments annually, and an additional decrease of $476,000 in Medicaid payments continuing in perpetuity due to changes in the classifications used to determine reimbursement. The letter will be a part of the official testimony on the proposed changes for reimbursement. Also, Congressman Smith personally sent a copy of the letter to Secretary Tommy Thompson:
06/25/2004 Rep. Nick Smith Announces Grant for Local Health Research Institution
Rep. Nick Smith (R-Addison) announced today that Neural Intervention Technologies (NIT) of Ann Arbor, Michigan has received a Small Business Innovation Research Grant of $200,180 from the National Institutes of Health.
04/22/2004 Rep. Nick Smith Criticizes Granholm for Partisan Politics
Smith said, “Granholm told the Associated Press on February 23 that the Bush Administration had rejected the State’s proposal to collectively bargain with other states to get discounts on prescription drugs. The fact is that the Bush Administration never rejected that proposal and has now approved Michigan’s request. The approval is being made retroactive to the time when Michigan first made the request.”
02/09/2004 Smith Backs Legislation to Help Lower Prescription Drug Costs
U.S. Rep. Nick Smith announced today that he is strongly supporting and co-sponsoring legislation (H.R. 3707) that will give the Secretary of Health & Human Services explicit authority to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of all Medicare beneficiaries. This important measure was specifically excluded in the prescription drug legislation (H.R. 1) passed by the Congress last year.
01/30/2004 Rep. Smith Comments on Medicare Prescription Drug Program Costs
Congressman Nick Smith (R-Addison) commented on the announcement that estimates of the ten-year cost of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program have risen more than one-third, from $396 billion to $540 billion.
11/24/2003 Smith Plays Key Role in Medicare Debate
Washington was abuzz Monday over the resolve of Congressman Nick Smith (R-Michigan) who resisted intense pressure to vote for the Medicare bill. Following a story that appeared on Sunday in the Washington Post, Congressman Nick Smith responded with this statement:
11/22/2003 Smith Opposes Medicare Bill
Congressman Nick Smith (R-Addison) took a strong stand against the Medicare Prescription Drug bill this morning in Congress citing drastic increased costs and its failure to achieve real reform. The legislation passed by a vote of 220-215.
07/25/2003 Smith Votes to Pass Drug Re-importation
Congressman Nick Smith (MI-7) offered this statement on HR 2427, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act. It passed the House of Representatives early Friday morning, July 25, 2003:
07/09/2003 Nick Smith Co-sponsors Bill that Aids Rural Veterans
Veterans would no longer have to drive 60 minutes or more to a Veterans Administration facility, or wait six-plus months to get preventative and routine medical care with H.R. 2379, the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of 2003. H.R. 2379 would allow the VA to pay for rural or geographically remote veterans to get the general health care they need closer to home.
07/01/2003 Smith Announces Expansion Grant for Family Health Center
U.S. Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) announced that the Family Health Center of Battle Creek has been awarded a $426,500 grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for expanded medical capacity. Battle Creek was one of only three centers in Michigan to receive this grant.
01/29/2003 Smith Boards Air Force One, Accompanies President Bush to Michigan
Rep. Nick Smith (R-Addison) prepares to board Air Force One en route to Michigan. He accompanies President Bush to Grand Rapids, where the President will speak on Medicare and prescription-drug reform, expanding on remarks he made in last night's State of the Union message.
08/14/2002 Battle Creek Health Center Awarded Grant to Expand Services to Albion
U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) announced today that the Family Health Center of Battle Creek has been awarded a $460,417 grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Bureau of Primary Health Care for an access site in Albion, MI. This grant will improve and expand access to care for residents of Eastern Calhoun County. The center anticipates serving approximately 7,500 once the site is at full capacity.
07/23/2002 Smith Testifies on Foote Hospital at Medicare Hearing
U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) today testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on Jackson’s W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital’s unfair Medicare reimbursements. Due to problems with the reimbursement formula, Foote receives substantially less than other nearby hospitals.
07/23/2002 Smith Testifies on Hillsdale Community Health Center at Medicare Hearing
U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) today testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on Medicare Geographic Reclassification and its effects and problems in Michigan, and specifically, Hillsdale’s Community Health Center. In recent years Hillsdale has lost millions of dollars due to inadequate Medicare reimbursements. Due to problems with the reimbursement formula it receives substantially less than other nearby hospitals.
07/03/2002 Jackson Center for Family Health Awarded Grant
U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) announced today that the Center for Family Health, Inc. in Jackson, MI has been awarded a $370,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Bureau of Primary Health Care.
05/30/2002 Smith to Host Town Hall Meetings on the Future of Prescription Drugs
In an effort to keep Michigan residents informed of legislation on prescription drug policies, U.S. Representative Nick Smith (MI-07) will hold two town hall meetings Monday, in Battle Creek and Coldwater, MI.
03/21/2002 Seniors Can Count on Smith
"Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) can be depended on to protect Social Security and Medicare and to support a prescription drug benefit for seniors." That assertion was made by Jim Martin, President of the 60 Plus Association, a non-partisan senior citizens group with more than half a million members nationally, over 13,600 in Michigan and some 750 in the 7th Congressional District Smith represents.
01/30/2001 Smith to Announce Grant for Race Against Drugs Program
U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) will be joined by NASCAR driver Ricky Craven and representatives from other government agencies at a press conference tomorrow, January 31st at 12:30pm on the House Triangle to announce a $2.5 million grant from the Department of Justice for the Race Against Drugs Program.
10/13/2000 Smith to Chair Local Health Care Forum
On Monday, October 16th, U.S. Representative Nick Smith (R-Addison) will chair an interactive forum to discuss access to health care in the state of Michigan, and what role the federal government should play in providing health care to its citizens.
10/12/2000 House Passes Bill to Combat Breast, Cervical Cancer
"Breast cancer takes the lives of more than 46,000 women each year. Although there is still no certain way to prevent the cancer, we can promote early detection."
07/12/2000 Smith Continues Fight for Lower Prescription Drug Prices
The House has passed legislation to allow U.S. citizens to buy prescription drugs from other countries provided the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved them.