Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am rising today to advocate for America's patients and their physicians. Over the past 3 years, doctors across the Nation have more than stepped up to the challenges that they have encountered, COVID, often risking their own health and safety to protect our communities. That not only includes the physicians; that includes the nurses, the technicians, and everyone in America's hospitals. However, when Congress left town in December, we once again let down America's doctors by allowing a 3.37 percent Medicare payment cut to hit January 1. As a cardiothoracic surgeon for 15 years, I have seen firsthand the consequences of cuts like these. What are the consequences? Access to quality healthcare for rural America that I represent, underserved urban America, the American people. The payment cut to physicians will impede patients' access to care while increasing the gap between physician expenses and reimbursement rates. I want to associate myself with Dr. Murphy's comments. Costs are dramatically going up, and, if that continues, more and more of America's physicians will not take Medicare. I didn't say Medicaid. I said Medicare. Given the existing shortage of physicians in the United States, the combination of declining reimbursement and rapidly rising costs threatens to drive more doctors out of the profession, particularly, as I mentioned, in rural and underserved urban America. It has led to a lot of consolidation, as Dr.…”