Max Baucus: “I rise as a cosponsor of the ``Medicare Value Purchasing Act of 2005.'' This bill will establish a new program to link a…”

“I rise as a cosponsor of the ``Medicare Value Purchasing Act of 2005.'' This bill will establish a new program to link a portion of Medicare's reimbursement for health care services to the quality of that care. This bill takes a crucial step towards improving the value of our health care dollar as well as the safety and quality of our Nation's health care system. Last week, I gave a statement in this Chamber about America's place in the world. I am proud of our Nation; I am proud of our enterprising spirit, our energy, our diversity, and the hope for a better future that is inherent to our roots. I am proud of this country, but I am disappointed in the state of our health care system and in the impact it is having on the lives of our fellow citizens, as well as on the economy and ultimately on our place in the world. As I look to the future, I see a stronger America, but I know we must work hard to make sure that vision is realized. We hear about the problem of increasing health care costs nearly every day--in newspaper headlines and in casual conversations. Per capita spending on health care in America is nearly 2\1/2\ times the average in the industrialized world. We spend over $5,000 per person on health care, and premiums for employer-sponsored coverage are rising five times faster than inflation. With all this money going into health care, one might assume we had the best health care in the world. But that assumption is wrong.…”