Political Quotes

“on June 10th we held a hearing on home health care in the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Subcommittee where we examined how the so called ``reforms'' of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 were holding up. I continue to believe that the answer to that question is, ``not well.'' That is why I am joining with my colleague from Maine, Senator Collins, the Chairman of the PSI Subcommittee, in introducing an important bill, the Medicare Home Health Equity Act of 1999. Home health care agencies provide a vital service to many elderly Americans. In my own state of Michigan there are over 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries. Over 100,000 of these beneficiaries use the services of Michigan's 223 home health agencies. People prefer to recuperate in their own homes, and it is also less costly for the government since the alternative is nursing home care which is extraordinarily expensive for the Medicare program. I am concerned about potential access problems.”