Political Quotes

“This is amendment No. 468, designed to correct a technical corrections problem which ironically arose out of the Medicare Technical Act of 1994. To describe it, you have been going to your doctor for 50 years. He says you need something done. You say, ``OK, do it.'' He says, ``Wait a minute, aren't you 65 years old now?'' You say, ``Yes.'' And he says, ``I am sorry, I cannot treat you anymore.'' ``Why not?'' ``Well, I don't treat Medicare patients.'' ``You do not have to submit the bill to Medicare. I will not submit the bill to Medicare. Let me pay you like I always have.'' Sorry, HCFA says we cannot do that. Mr. President, this is very simple. It allows for those 9 percent of the physicians who do not treat Medicare patients to continue to treat their patients as they always have. Those parties do not make a claim to Medicare, Medicare does not pay it, they simply go ahead and pay the doctor like they always have. This is not what was intended in the 1994 act, but because of the way HCFA's regulations have interpreted it, we need to make this technical correction. I urge my colleagues to support the change.”