[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10296-H10297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       AGAINST THE MEDICARE BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Olver] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will consider the 
Republican bill to dismantle Medicare. We should be not at all 
surprised, because 93 percent of Republicans voted against Medicare 
when it was created in 1965. Even the Republican leader in the other 
branch, the Presidential candidate, Bob Dole, cast one of those no 
votes.

                              {time}  2300

  Republicans have waited 30 years for their chance to dismantle 
Medicare. So who is backing them in this effort? Well, first off, 
private insurance companies are thrilled because they stand to make 
billions of dollars. It is insane to turn over billions of Medicare 
dollars, tax dollars, to insurance companies who will waste about 25 
cents of every Medicare dollar on profits and administrative costs, 
when the current Medicare system only spends about 3 cents of every 
dollar on administrative costs. That takes senior citizens' health care 
dollars and gives them to insurance company profits.
  Who else is with the Republicans? Well, the American Medical 
Association. By the way, they also opposed Medicare when it was 
created. But the October 12 headline in the Wall Street Journal tells 
the whole story there, and I quote, ``House GOP Medicare bill wins over 
doctors with hidden enticements, promises of profits.''
  Republicans are not talking about comprehensive health care reform 
this year. They are cutting $270 billion out of the Medicare budget to 
pay for a $245 billion tax cut package. More than half of the tax cuts 
go to persons who make 

[[Page H 10297]]
over $100,000, hardly people who are needy, while 75 percent of the 
seniors covered by Medicare live on less than $24,000 a year, and they 
are going to be the losers.
  The Republicans are going to rob middle- and low-income seniors of 
their choice of doctors, access to hospitals, and high quality health 
care to give tax cuts to a handful of wealthy Americans. It is 
unconscionable.
  The Republican bill is bad legislation. The Republicans know it 
cannot stand up to scrutiny. That is why they are making a mockery of 
the legislative process. No opportunity for comment from the 37 million 
affected Americans and they will ram this through the House in just a 
few short hours of debate. That is why I held Medicare forums in my 
district so my constituents could be herd. And I did hear from seniors, 
their family members, hospitals, doctors, nurses, home care providers, 
and these wonderful people shined a very bright light on why the 
Republicans need to gag the public in order to ram their bill through.
  Let me tell you what people have to say. Two working women with 
mothers in their 80's told me their mothers receive home nursing care 
covered by Medicare. This care allows their mothers to remain in their 
homes. Without this care these working women would either have to quit 
their jobs and become nurses or spend every penny they have to pay for 
a nursing home. It is not small change, because nursing home care 
averages about $40,000 a year.
  Doctors told me that these cuts will force them to make unethical 
choices every day. Doctors will have the technology to alleviate pain 
or improve the quality of life but they will not have the money to use 
it. It is called rationing, and doctors will be forced to do it every 
day.
  To their credit, the Massachusetts Medical Society has broken ranks 
with the AMA and does not support this bill. And the director of elder 
services in Berkshire County shared the following story with me and the 
one I want to leave you with.
  In Ashley Falls, Phil and Agnes are waging a battle with her advanced 
Parkinson's disease. Both are determined to stay together at home, but 
her current care needs demand so much of Phil. Her disease prevents any 
movement. Through the VNA, Agnes' Medicare provided home health care 
aides once each day and physical therapy twice each week. Elder 
services provides respite for Phil twice a week. A home health aide 
cares for Agnes so Phil can shop and run errands and maybe even go to 
the doctor himself. Medicare does not cover it all. Phil does feeding, 
toileting, and dressing for Agnes as well as laundry, cooking, and 
cleaning, but assistance the Medicare-funded aide gives daily makes 
this huge task doable. There are no children to help.

  I do not know, but how do the Republicans think this couple is going 
to manage? The truth is, they are not thinking about the human 
consequences of this enormous Medicare cut. The truth is they just do 
not care what happens to Agnes and Phil. And for those reasons, I 
intend to vote tomorrow against their bill.

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