Frank Riggs: “Mr. Speaker, let me first of all point out that our plan very clearly says right on its face that no older American who…”

“Mr. Speaker, let me first of all point out that our plan very clearly says right on its face that no older American who is currently receiving Medicare health care benefits will be forced out of the traditional fee-for-service program. It does provide other options for health care, and the gentleman from New Jersey mentioned a couple, managed care, and medical savings accounts. We think those are both progressive ideas, designed to build more flexibility into the program, ultimately give more choice to Medicare recipients and frankly to empower them to be more involved with decisions having to do with their own personal health care. Let me point out that, second, a fact that the gentleman kind of skipped over. Let me back up for just a moment. Let me also stipulate that our plan requires that any savings from reducing the rate of growth in Medicare expenditures must stay in the Medicare Program. As a consequence, the Congressional Budget Office says that our program will extend the life or the solvency of the hospital insurance trust fund to the year 2008, which is 3 years more than the President's proposal. So, yes, we are bolder because we are trying to think not just of the needs of today's seniors but the needs of the next generation of Medicare recipients as well.”