On the recordJanuary 19, 2011
Republicans agree, and we want families to keep their kids on their plans if they wish. And last Congress that's why we offered proposals that would have allowed dependent children to stay on their parents' plans. But once again, the other side is trying to hide 3,000 pages of a law by discussing only 10 pages. We all want to work on this, and we will achieve this in the replacement bill. But the other side also fails to mention the other part of this 2,900 pages that will ignore what's going to cause health insurance premiums to go up 17 percent because of this care plan. What good is coverage on a policy if a family can't afford it? On another issue, chronic illness consumes 70 percent of health care costs and 90 percent of Medicare. The health care bill, however, cuts $500 billion from Medicare, and much of that by eliminating chronic care management that otherwise could save lives and money. So for 7.4 million seniors on Medicare Advantage, if you like your plan, you can't keep it. So what does chronic disease management do? UPMC in Pittsburgh reduced hospitalization rates for diabetics by 75 percent. Washington Hospital in Pennsylvania cut readmission rates 50 percent for heart disease. And Gateway Health Plan reduced asthma readmissions by 28 percent. It's better care at lower cost; but the health care bill says if you're sick, you're on your own.
