Joe Baca: “I rise today to support of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. My top priorities are…”

“I rise today to support of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. My top priorities are the patients and their families from my District. Over the past several months, I've received several phone calls from hard-working families. These families are worried whether the Medicare physician payment cuts will prevent them from being able to see their doctor. These families are worried about their ability to receive life saving medicines and medical supplies in the mail next time they run out. These families are worried about their local pharmacy's ability to offer discounts on medicines. For these families, I stand here in support of H.R. 6331. This bill delays physician payment cuts, protecting our seniors from facing difficulty in accessing needed healthcare. In these times of skyrocketing gas prices, this bill improves low-income assistance programs for Medicare beneficiaries. Many working families from the Inland Empire, in California, are faced with putting food on the table or paying for medicines. Furthermore, my constituents will face a unique situation when the competitive bidding process rolls out on July 1st. This bill delays this process; preventing any possible harmful interruptions in the shipment of medical supplies to patients. Time is quickly running out, these deadlines are approaching and we must not stand by and watch. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 6331, our working families are counting on us.”