[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SAVING MEDICARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to give a brief 
review of how this Congress is fighting for our senior citizens across 
the country. First, we rolled back the Social Security tax increase of 
1993. Second, we have raised the income eligibility level above $11,200 
for those under 70. Over the next 5 years, Mr. Speaker, seniors will be 
able to earn income up to $30,000 without ever having a deduction from 
their Social Security. Third, Social Security is off the table, Mr. 
Speaker, when it comes to this budget. And fourth, now House 
Republicans are determined to save Medicare by using new approaches, 
new managements, and new technologies to improve it, preserve it, 
protect it, and eliminate the fraud and abuse.
  The Clinton Administration's Trustees Report on Medicare warns that 
the Medicare trust fund starts to go broke in 1996 and could be 
bankrupt by 2002. The current Government-controlled Health Care Finance 
Administration system has much waste and fraud. The General Accounting 
Office estimates $44 billion a year in Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
  Our legislation will obviously make sure that these changes are made 
so that a strong Medicare system is what we have restored.
  We also want to give senior citizens an incentive to fight waste and 
fraud by paying them 25 percent of any waste or fraud that they find on 
their bills. We want to strengthen and empower our senior citizens.
  Republicans will also increase Medicare spending from $4,700 per 
retiree today to $6,300 per retiree in 2002. That is a 34-percent 
increase in Medicare spending per retiree. There is absolutely no cut 
in Medicare spending.
  We will preserve the current Medicare system for seniors who want it, 
but no one will of course be forced into a system they do not want. We 
will create a series of new choices so senior citizens can control 
their own future, Mr. Speaker. Any good ideas citizens have would be 
appreciated by their Representative on Commerce and Ways and Means 
Committees as they develop a new and improved Medicare system.
  As for me, Mr. Speaker, I will be heading a Medicare preservation 
task force for the purpose of preserving, improving, and protecting our 
Medicare system for our seniors.
  Together we can create a Medicare system that offers the best care at 
the lowest cost with the senior citizens having the greatest control 
over their own health care. We will improve Medicare so it can be 
protected and saved.


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