Political Quotes

“right now, all across America, Medicare beneficiaries are seeking medical care from a flawed health care system. Reduced benefit packages, ever escalating costs, and limited access in rural areas are just a few of the problems our system faces on a daily basis. For these reasons, Congress must continue to move towards the modernization of Medicare. But as we address the needs of beneficiaries, we must not turn our back upon the very providers that seniors rely upon for their care. Who are providers? They are the physicians, the hospitals, the nursing homes, and others who deliver quality care to our needy Medicare population. They are the backbone of our complex health care network. When our nation's seniors need care, it is the provider who heals, not the health insurer, and certainly not the federal government. But more, and more often, seniors are being told by providers that they don't accept Medicare. This is becoming even more common in rural areas, where the number of physicians is limited and access to quality care is extremely restricted. Quite simply, beneficiaries are being told that their insurance is simply not wanted. Why? Well it's not as simple as low reimbursement rates. In fact it's much more complex. The infrastructure that manages the Medicare program, the Health Care Financing Administration, HCFA, and its network of contractors, have built up a system designed to block care and micro-manage independent practices.”