James Davis: “The purpose of the premium support provision is to try to reduce the cost of the Medicare program to the benefit of…”

“The purpose of the premium support provision is to try to reduce the cost of the Medicare program to the benefit of Medicare beneficiaries and the taxpayers, and that goal is a worthy goal. We have heard debate tonight about one of the ways that can be achieved, by trying to negotiate discounts in terms of the price of prescription drugs. I think the argument on the other side is a philosophical argument, that somehow the government should not be involved in that, even though it works for the Secretary of Defense, it works for the VA, in a fashion that no one is questioning. So where the debate ultimately ends up tonight is should we reduce the cost of Medicare on the back of that Medicare beneficiary who has been rejected by a private health care plan, by giving them a voucher that will not get them through the end of the week or the end of the month? I think the answer is clearly no, and there has yet to be a single Member of Congress who has stood on the floor of this House and tried to squarely confront that question. This is not a Democrat or Republican proposition. This is about humanity.”