Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand today in support of H.R. 5659, the ESRD Choice Act, and thank the Speaker for taking this effort up today on the floor. This bipartisan legislation expands access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage options for Americans suffering from serious kidney illness. End-stage renal disease, or ESRD, is the only preexisting condition that explicitly prevents patients from enrolling in Medicare Advantage. This bill removes a harmful Federal restriction that has, for too long, blocked patients with ESRD from enrolling in Medicare Advantage plans. The question is: Why should kidney disease patients be denied a choice all other Medicare beneficiaries have? The short answer is: They shouldn't. These patients should have the same option to choose Medicare Advantage. Once this bill is passed and signed into law, my colleagues and I will be constantly watching the bureaucrats at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make sure they fulfill their responsibilities to properly risk adjust payments to plans in an accurate and transparent manner. The bill requires a report of the effects of this legislation on risk adjustment, and I will be watching to make sure they get it right. I also want to recognize the hard work that went into this bill and specifically thank Mr. Lewis, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Schrader, and Mr.…”