[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 133 (Wednesday, August 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S11980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICARE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to return to a topic which has 
been talked about and discussed on the floor this morning but which 
even more intensely will be talked about a lot over the next 3 weeks; 
that is, our Medicare system.
  It is a system, a program that, as a physician, I have been involved 
in in a very intimate way--as a physician with patients--every day for 
the last 15 years of my life. I have taken care of and worked, in a 
doctor-patient relationship, with individuals who rely on Medicare,
 who expect to have Medicare help them, be with them for the remainder 
of their lives and for that next generation. But shortly after coming 
to Washington, just 8 months ago now, there became very clear to me a 
message which most Americans do not understand--my patients did not 
understand, Tennesseans do not understand, and Americans do not 
understand, but it is something about which people in Washington say, 
``Well, it is not that big a deal,'' but it is a big deal for the 
American people. And that is that Medicare is going broke and will be 
bankrupt in 7 years unless we act and act now and not just tinker with 
the system and make some little fine-tuning.

  That is not going to do it. We will be in the same situation next 
year. And what is different this year and the next short-term 2 years 
is that within 18 months we are going to be spending more in the 
Medicare trust fund than is coming in, and in 7 years that trust fund 
will be bankrupt.
  We are not going to be talking about less Medicare; we are going to 
be talking about no Medicare for our senior citizens.
  The story is told so clearly, and it is in this little booklet. This 
little booklet I want every American, all of our Senators, all of our 
Congressmen and Congresswomen to read. It is the report of the Medicare 
trustees, the Medicare board of trustees which consists of three 
members of the President's Cabinet. It says in very clear terms--and 
let me quote from it--``The Medicare program is clearly unsustainable 
in its present form.''
  It says, and I quote, ``We strongly''--the Medicare trustees, 
bipartisan, including three members of the President's Cabinet--
``recommend that the crisis presented by the financial condition of the 
Medicare trust funds be urgently addressed on a comprehensive basis, 
including a review of the program's financing methods, benefit 
provisions and delivery mechanisms.'' It is said right here in this 
book Medicare is going to be bankrupt unless we do something.
  Based on these facts, the Medicare trustees urged that the program be 
addressed and addressed immediately, and the gravest danger to this 
program and to the Nation's seniors who depend on it is continuation of 
the status quo and doing nothing.
  My second point is that Republicans are responding to this urgent 
call. It is being addressed straight up front, in very direct fashion. 
No longer can the trust fund tolerate growth of 10.5 percent. The plan 
that we have put on the table is to allow it to still grow but allow it 
to grow at 6.4 percent. Thus, we are not cutting Medicare. It is not a 
cut in Tennessee when you are going to spend more next year and the 
year after that and the year after that, yet we see propaganda coming 
out from across the aisle and from the White House saying each county 
is being cut.
  Each county is going to receive more in Medicare next year and not 
less. In 1995, Medicare will spend $178 billion. In 2002, under the 
Republican plan, that spending will exceed $273 billion--a 54-percent 
increase.
  What does it boil down to on an individual basis? It means that this 
year in Medicare we are spending about $4,800 per individual; 7 years 
from now we are going to be spending $6,700. That is an increase of 40 
percent between now and the year 2002.
  So let us get our terminology straight. Let us shoot straight with 
the American people so that we can engage in a dialog that will truly 
be beneficial to the current generation to preserve Medicare, to 
protect Medicare and to strengthen the program so that it will be there 
not just for this generation but that next generation.
  I think the message really needs to be made very clear to the 
American people that, No. 1, Medicare is going bankrupt, and No. 2, 
that there is something we can do but it has to be a dialog.
  Over the next several weeks, we as Republicans are going to continue 
to listen--to listen to the providers, to listen to the senior 
citizens, to listen to all Americans, bring everybody to the table so 
that we together in a bipartisan way can work to solve what is a 
significant challenge, but it is a challenge we must face because 
without that the Medicare Program will be bankrupt.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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