Bill Nelson: “I want to underscore a number of the remarks the Senator from Michigan made--this issue of health care, home health…”

“I want to underscore a number of the remarks the Senator from Michigan made--this issue of health care, home health care, and prescription drugs. I start my comments by saying, has the Bush administration taken leave of its senses with regard to a number of these proposals? What the Senator from Michigan has just said in relation to copayments for home health care, home health care is something we want to encourage. Home health care is certainly an alternative to being in a nursing home from a cost standpoint. It is certainly a cost incentive as an alternative to being in a hospital. But home health care, if it is the right kind of medical care, is also a lot better quality of life for the patient than having to be in a nursing home or a hospital, if that is the appropriate medical care, because they are surrounded by family in their home. The Bush administration now wants to propose a new copayment. Therefore, for senior citizens who are having difficulty paying medical bills as it is, because Medicare does not cover everything, now the Bush administration wants, in fact, them to pay more in order to be eligible for home health care? Have they taken leave of their senses?”