Frank Pallone: “I think the gentlewoman is really contrasting what the Democrats have in mind versus what the Republicans have in mind.…”

“I think the gentlewoman is really contrasting what the Democrats have in mind versus what the Republicans have in mind. The most important thing I think the gentlewoman said is that we are very clear about what we are doing, and they are very unclear about what they are doing. Essentially what the gentlewoman describes in terms of the Democrat proposal is no different from what we have right now under Part B. I do not want to sound too bureaucratic, but I think seniors understand that right now, if they need their hospital bill paid, that is basically paid for under Part A. If they need their doctor bills paid, then they pay a premium which is so much a month, fairly low, a low deductible, and 80 percent of the cost of the doctor bills are paid for by the Federal Government under Medicare. What the gentlewoman described as the Democratic proposal is essentially a new part for Medicare, we call it Part D, but it is very similar to Part B with doctor bills. In other words, you pay a defined premium, $25, there is $100 deductible, and then 80 percent of the cost, up to $2,000, is paid for by the Federal Government. After that the entire thing is paid for by the Federal Government. For those people who are below a certain premium, the entire thing is paid for by the Federal Government, just like Part B with doctor bills. So it is clear what we are doing. And we are doing it under Medicare, which has been a very successful government program.”