[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 134 (Thursday, September 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                            FOCUS ON ACCESS

  (Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, since through action we are 
not going to expand access to health care, it is imperative that 
through inaction, we not deny current access to health care to many of 
America's seniors.
  I rise today to ask you support of a simple extension of current law 
that allows seniors to buy prescription drug coverage, preventive 
medical care, home-based care and a host of supplemental other benefits 
for 10 to almost 40 percent less than they would be able to buy these 
benefits for in the standard market.
  Without our acting to extend our Medicare Select Program, thousands 
of America's senior citizens will lose access to these extremely cost 
effective benefits on December 31, 1994.
  Consumer Reports has just rated Medigap policies offered under the 
Medicare Select Program as among the best in this country. In its 
August 1994 magazine, Consumer Reports rated the top Medigap insurers 
nationwide. Of the top 15 rated products, 8 were Medicare Select 
Medigap managed care products.
  In the past, I have introduced legislation to expand this program to 
all 50 States and make it permanent, and most of the health care reform 
initiatives that would have come before us would have done this. 
However, recognizing the tight timeframe we are now under, I am 
proposing only a straight 2 year extension of the current Medicare 
Select Program. It is no cost to the Federal Treasury, yet provides 
substantial savings for America's senior citizens. Further, this 
program has the support of a broad coalition of senior groups, consumer 
advocates, and insurers. It clearly deserves the support of this 
Congress, and I urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this bill 
today.
  We have been incapable of action to expand access. We are certainly 
capable of action to preserve access.

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