Political Quotes

“Today, the Medicare trustees are due to report on the projected solvency of the Medicare part A trust fund. As we all recall, last year's report predicted the part A trust fund would be insolvent by the year 2001 without reform. We also know that in 1996 the trust fund lost $25 million a day and is now losing over $30 million a day. Ladies and gentlemen of this House, this is unacceptable. The state of the Medicare Program warrants serious discussion proposing genuine solutions. A recent proposal introduced in the House would add provider-sponsored organizations to the managed care options available to Medicare beneficiaries. By allowing groups of affiliated providers to organize and deliver a broad base of health care services, we can offer new choices for quality care that is community based. For a rural district like mine, increased choice is a welcome opportunity. Whether your district is rural, urban, or suburban, we all know that localized solutions work best. I ask Members to support that measure.”