Pete Stark

If we had vouchers, or whatever you want to call premium support things, the Medicare would stop being a defined benefit plan and become a defined contribution plan, would it not?

I happen to be a fan of his bill to get rid of this idea that if a physician doesn't take Medicare, they are out of the system for 2 years.

The CBO has said it would lead to an increase in overall national health spending as seniors and people with disabilities are moved into less efficient, more costly private plans.

I am going to go on record again making clear the strong opposition that Democrats have to the House Republican proposal.

I can count on maybe one hand the Democrats who support vouchers or similar proposals.

Basically Republicans want to take away Medicare's guaranteed benefits and replace it with a voucher and put the insurance companies back in charge.

I think it is the first hearing that Republicans have held in the Ways and Means Committee to advance their plan to end the Medicare as we know it.

You may not like it, but it doesn't.

It is apparent to me in this hearing from the testimony presented today that the Democrats' health care law is unconstitutional and will rob Americans of their current health plan and further hinder economic growth.

First, you could pay the penalty and remain uninsured.

I still believe that the other side of the aisle would like to end Medicare.

I see no reason why Congress should hand that authority over to the executive branch.

I oppose IPAB for reasons different, perhaps, from my other colleagues.

I am proud of what we have done with the Affordable Care Act.

My good friend from California, the Ranking Member, Mr. Stark, characterized IPAB as a 'mindless rate-cutting machine that sets up for unsustainable cuts that would endanger the health of American seniors and people with disabilities.'

The new health reform law is promoting public-private initiatives to incentivize high-quality, efficient care.

I think most of them will agree that SGR reform is the number one issue facing physicians.

We are more than a decade away into the debacle known as SGR reform.

We keep avoiding the topic of Sustainable Growth Rate formulas in favor of the easier conversations about delivery system reforms.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing today to try and explore how the private sector payers are rewarding physicians who deliver high-quality and efficient care.

Isn't it true that in most of the liquor stores and other establishments of that type they charge no fees for cashing the checks because they want people to get the cash to gamble? In many of our districts in California they don't have to…

Let it be known that the scooter store called me this morning and I said no, I wouldn't ride their scooter to the hearing.

Well, what do our international obligations have to do with this darn bridge being built in my district and putting all of these Americans out of work?

Cutting taxes and cutting spending and shrinking the role of government leads to growth.

Why have legislators?