Political Quotes

“I would just like to respond, number one, the gentleman from New Jersey suggests that the best way that we can control the escalation in cost in health care is essentially for the government to fix the price and for the government to be the player. That is essentially what we have got now in Medicare. We have got a one-size-fits-all government plan determining benchmarks, government determining reimbursement rates. I would just ask the gentleman whether he really believes that we have done anything to really control costs. Does he really believe that the costs have come under control and that we are facing a deflationary trend in the cost of health care? Then I would like to also say that in terms of the accusations that we in some way through passing the House bill are forcing people into HMOs, there is no provision which forces anyone into an HMO. In fact, the bill takes great strides toward creating regional provider networks, so that individual Medicare beneficiaries will have the ability to go and seek care within the network. They can go outside the network. No one is forcing anyone into an HMO, which again goes back to the central point of what we are trying to do and that is to afford seniors a choice. Not everyone wants the same type of health care. And certainly I would suggest that no one wants a Canadian-style health care.”