Political Quotes

“Medicare turns 50 years old this year. This is not the time to turn our back on Medicare and the universal nature of Medicare. We all understand and are confident that after paying into the system year after year or turning age 65 or meeting the other qualifications that we have means that health care will be available to everyone, regardless of where you live, regardless of who you are. Medicare is a great American success story. Before Medicare became law, only half of Americas who were 65 years of age or older had any type of health insurance. They could not find health insurance. Those who found health insurance were paying through the roof to be able to get that insurance. Often times they were paying--they lacked coverage for surgery or health expenses that occurred outside the hospital. You could have one single surgery or illness and be totally wiped out. So our country came together and said: We are going to make sure that for seniors in this country, health care will be available to everyone. We have done that. It is extremely successful. I am very, very concerned about what this budget does to Medicare, as well as the budget in the House of Representatives. First of all, let me say that there is no question that Medicare, as with every other public program, was designed to improve and evolve and be strengthened and add new things--certainly for the security of future generations. That is why the prescription drug bill was passed.…”