On the recordNovember 17, 2011
I thank the gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to just emphasize again with regards to this health care law and the fact that this law--and, Mr. Speaker, this is a law, this isn't a budget proposal, this is a law--guts Medicare by $500 billion. It should be of concern, Mr. Speaker, to our seniors because this law, in fact in 2014, will begin to gut Medicare. I again would look at this chart and the Medicare reimbursements. There will be no hospitals that will be able to provide health care. If you look at what the trend is for Medicare reimbursements to our hospitals, they cannot continue to exist based on what is set forth in the Affordable Care Act. I spoke with the CEO of one of our local hospitals, Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, and he spoke with one of my health care staff; and he indicated to us today that Crouse Hospital, one hospital in the district, is facing a projected loss of $18 million in reimbursement reductions. That number goes to access to care. We can have the most comprehensive health care law on the books, but if we don't have hospitals who are able to provide that care, and we don't have physicians who are able to provide that care, we will have access-to- health-care problems. Mr. Speaker, earlier I talked about hospital readmission penalties. This is another concern hospitals have to deal with.…
