Gus Bilirakis: “we are here tonight, I guess it is tonight, to talk about the Medicare Modernization Act. I will say that I was proud to…”

“we are here tonight, I guess it is tonight, to talk about the Medicare Modernization Act. I will say that I was proud to be a part of that small conference committee that worked hours, weekends, weeks that produced this landmark bipartisan legislation. I am the first to say, and I have said it oftentimes to many of my colleagues, and certainly members of the staff, that this law is not perfect. It is far from perfect. But it targets an awful lot of money towards the areas where it will do the most good; towards the areas that will do the most good. The poorest and the sickest among us will certainly benefit the most from this new law. Back in the mid 1960s, Mr. Speaker, the Congress passed the Medicare bill. Since then, there have been very few major changes made to it. The bill today, the law today regarding Medicare would offer Medicare beneficiaries the basic part A and part B coverage. It would offer very, very little preventive care. In fact, until a few years ago, it offered no preventive care at all.”