On the recordJanuary 16, 2014
Yesterday, I along with Peter Welch, my colleague, and Senators Wyden and Isakson introduced the Better Care, Lower Cost Act, bipartisan legislation to truly bend the cost curve and improve chronic care management in Medicare. Medicare today, Mr. Speaker, is very different than it was in 1965, as 68 percent of all beneficiaries have two or more chronic conditions, which account now for 93 percent of all Medicare costs. Our legislation will help seniors like Darlene from my district, who suffers from multiple chronic conditions, including arthritis and diabetes. The complexity involved with gaining input from her many doctors and nurses makes it very difficult for her to manage her own health. This is a difficulty that many seniors typically face today. But by modernizing the Medicare payment system--paying for results, not just activity; incentivizing people to take care of themselves; and removing the barriers to innovation--we can ensure that seniors get the right care at the right time. We can also take advantage of health care technology, like telehealth. We can break down the barriers, the geographic barriers, to bring chronic care management skills and experience of institutions like the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to light. Mr. Speaker, we can create a better system, and this bipartisan group shows that it can be done with a little cooperation and collaboration. ____________________
