Porter Goss: “the Medicare trustees reported last year that the part A trust fund, covering all inpatient hospital care, would be…”

“the Medicare trustees reported last year that the part A trust fund, covering all inpatient hospital care, would be bankrupt by the year 2002, essentially confirming the findings of the Kerrey Commission. However, in light of new Treasury Department estimates that the trust fund ran a $4.2 billion deficit through the first half of fiscal year 1996, experts, including the former Chief Actuary to HCFA, now conclude that the trust fund could be bankrupt in the year 2000, just 4 years from now. These facts should propel the administration to join the congressional initiatives to preserve Medicare. Instead, the April 1 deadline for this year's trustees report has come and gone with no White House action. It seems the White House is employing stalling tactics and stonewalling Medicare reform rather than saving the program. I urge the President to shelve the excuses, produce the report and join with the efforts currently underway in Congress to save Medicare now. Our Nation's seniors and others dependent on Medicare cannot tolerate the same White House failures to fix Medicare that we have endured for the last 4 years.”