[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2411-E2412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   GEORGIA MEDICARE ADVISORY GROUP, SENIOR CITIZEN TASK FORCE REPORT 
                                FINDINGS

                                 ______


                           HON. NEWT GINGRICH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 19, 1995

  Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, in the Sixth District of Georgia, we 
formed a Medicare Advisory Group and a Senior Citizens Task Force to 
help make policy recommendations to preserve the Medicare Program. Part 
of the learning process for us was developing a Communications Team 
that went out to the people of the Sixth District and asked for their 
ideas based on first-hand experiences. Our findings were not 
surprising, but were different from what we had heard from those who 
had initiated a scare campaign against seniors.
  The truth was that when the public knew the facts, they 
overwhelmingly supported Republican efforts to reform Medicare. One 
finding that you will not hear the scare tacticians using is that 79 
percent of those we asked believe that seniors should have greater 
choices in health care. Compare the findings which the Communications 
Team presented to me on July 9, 1995, with our Medicare Preservation 
Act of 1995, and you will see that our plan reflects the beliefs of a 
majority of those we polled.
  I am submitting for the Congressional Record the findings of the 
Report that I believe represent what my colleagues are hearing all over 
the Nation.

 Medicare Advisory Group and Senior Citizen Task Force Communications 
                          Team Summary Report

       In July 1995 Congressman Newt Gingrich appointed a group of 
     citizens to The Georgia Sixth District Medicare Advisory 
     Group and Senior Citizens Task Force. The purpose of the 
     group was to obtain grass roots input and feedback on issues 
     related to strengthening and improving Medicare, thereby 
     allowing the citizenry to be actively involved in upcoming 
     legislation related to Medicare.
       The group was composed of thirty-eight constituents, 
     consisting of the following:
       1. Senior citizens;
       2. Doctors, nurses and other health care providers with 
     experience in dealing with Medicare and with senior citizens;
       3. Senior service experts, particularly directors or 
     representatives of community-based programs, such as senior 
     service centers;
       4. Government officials familiar with the current Medicare 
     program;
       5. Representatives from private industries who could 
     provide knowledge regarding medical costs or novel solutions, 
     particularly employing innovative technology; and
       6. Volunteers and advocates for senior citizens.
       The entire group met with Congressman Gingrich on four 
     occasions, to ask questions and to provide feedback to him. 
     Following their initial meeting with Congressman Gingrich, it 
     was decided by the group members that they would divide into 
     four working groups, which would meet separately, to tackle 
     the four areas they considered most vital. These were: 
     Medicare Fraud, Medical Technology, Alternatives to Medicare, 
     and Communication. Each group reviewed information and sought 
     input from citizens throughout the district, prior to 
     producing and submitting its final report to Congressman 
     Gingrich on September 9, 1995.
       The Communication working group was made up of 12 members, 
     6 of whom were senior citizens. The group was chaired by 
     Laura Linn, a registered nurse currently employed as a 
     clinical specialist.
       The group developed a questionnaire, which they 
     administered to 565 seniors throughout the Sixth District. In 
     order to collect data, several senior centers throughout the 
     Sixth District were visited. In addition to administering the 
     questionnaire, the group also made available a letter from 
     Congressman Gingrich and a Contract with Seniors. Those 
     materials, along with results of 

[[Page E2412]]
     the questionnaire, are included with this report.
       An analysis of the questionnaire results reveal the 
     following:
       a) More than 75% of those questioned knew that Medicare was 
     going bankrupt;
       b) More than 75% were very concerned about Medicare going 
     bankrupt, and more than 93% thought that Congress should take 
     steps to save Medicare;
       c) In terms of the changes that should be made, 67.8% said 
     that some changes should be made but that the program should 
     be preserved, while 11.2% wanted a complete redesign. Only 
     10% thought that there should be no changes in the current 
     program;
       d) While 48% preferred getting a Medicare policy directly 
     from the government, 15% would approve of a voucher or check 
     to purchase private insurance and nearly 37% were undecided;
       e) More than half favored reduction in payments to 
     hospitals and doctors and thought that seniors should receive 
     incentives for identifying fraud;
       f) Personally 77.2% would be willing to check their bills 
     for fraud and abuse, 53.5% would be willing to engage in 
     preventive and educational programs to stay healthy, and 
     47.5% would be willing to engage in cost-pricing to locate 
     the most economical, quality provider;
       g) Nearly 75% thought that fraud and abuse is a serious 
     problem that needs to be addressed when Congress reforms 
     Medicare, while 52.7% thought that lack of incentives for 
     finding affordable care is a serious problem in the current 
     system;
       h) While 16% claim that they always shop for economical 
     treatment, 55% said that they would if there were incentives 
     for doing so;
       i) Seventy-nine percent of respondents believe that senior 
     citizens should have greater choice in their medical care 
     programs, assuming that Medicare would be one of those 
     choices.
       The Communications group presented these findings to 
     Congressman Newt Gingrich on July 9, 1995. Reports from the 
     Medicare Fraud, Medical Technology and Alternatives to 
     Medicare groups were also presented at that time. All 
     information was reviewed by health care policy staff and 
     considered in the drafting of subsequent Medicare 
     legislation.

 A Contract With Our Seniors to Save, Strengthen and Preserve Medicare

       1. The Clinton administration's trustee's report warns the 
     Medicare Trust Fund starts to go broke next year. The Program 
     is Bankrupt by 2002.
       2. The House Republicans will save, strengthen, and 
     preserve Medicare through new technologies, new management 
     and new approaches.
       3. Medicare is growing at 10.5% a year, more than twice the 
     rate of private health care spending. We can make Medicare 
     solvent by slowing the rate of growth.
       4. We will increase Medicare spending over 7 years from 
     $4,800 per beneficiary today to $6,700 in 2002.
       5. Medicare and Medicaid are government-run health care 
     programs filled with waste and fraud--tens of billions a year 
     (GAO). We'll crack down on this waste.
       6. And we'll empower seniors to fight waste and fraud if we 
     pay them a share of any waste they find in their own bills.
       7. We will preserve the current Medicare system for those 
     who want it.
       8. We will engage in a dialogue with seniors since we 
     believe the best ideas come from the Grass Roots.
       9. Together we can create a system that offers the best 
     care at the lowest cost with seniors having the greatest 
     control over their own health care.

 Together We Will Strengthen Medicare so it Can Be Saved and Preserved


   saving, strengthening & preserving medicare: a questionnaire for 
                            seniors; (n=565)

       Gender of Sample=35.8% Male; 45.3% Female; 18.9% No 
     response.
       1. Did you know that President Clinton's Board of Trustees 
     reported that Medicare will be bankrupt by the year 2002?
       A. Yes 75.9%
       B. No 19.6%
       No response 4.4%
       2. How concerned are you about Medicare going bankrupt?
       A. Very concerned 75.2%
       B. Somewhat concerned 13.5%
       C. Not concerned at all 3.5%
       D. Undecided 4.2%
       No response 3.5%
       3. Do you think that Congress should try to save Medicare?
       A. Yes 93.1%
       B. No 1.2%
       C. Undecided 2.8%
       No response 2.8%
       4. Do you think that Congress should (check one):
       A. Completely redesign Medicare 11.2%
       B. Make some changes in Medicare but preserve the program 
     67.8%
       C. Leave Medicare alone, even though it is going broke 
     10.1%
       D. Undecided 5.3%
       No response 5.5%
       5. Would you prefer to (check one):
       A. Get a Medicare policy directly from the government 48.3%
       B. Receive a check or voucher to purchase private insurance 
     15%
       C. Undecided 28.5%
       No response 8.1%
       6. In order to save Medicare, which of the following would 
     you favor (check all that apply):
       A. Have wealthy senior citizens pay a higher premium 37%
       B. Reduce payments to physicians and hospitals for care 
     they provide 50.4%
       C. Provide incentives for seniors to join managed health 
     care plans 24.4%
       D. Provide seniors with incentives for locating fraud and 
     abuse in their bills 59.1%
       E. Raise the premiums for all Medicare recipients 15.4%
       F. Raise payroll taxes 9.6%
       G. Reduce benefits offered to seniors 5.7%
       H. Raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67 
     beginning in the year 2000. 34.5%
       7. In order to save Medicare would you personally be 
     willing to (check all that apply):
       A. Check your bill for fraud and abuse 77.2%
       B. Engage in preventive or educational programs to learn 
     how to stay healthy 53.5%
       C. Engage in cost-pricing to locate the most economical, 
     quality provider 47.5%
       D. Pay more money in terms of higher taxes or premiums 11%
       8. As Congress looks at improving Medicare, what do you 
     think are serious problems that ought to be addressed (check 
     all that apply):
       A. Excessive amounts of paperwork 62.8%
       B. Inability to understand rules/regulations 43.7%
       C. Fraud and abuse 74.3%
       D. Lack of incentives for seniors to locate affordable care 
     52.7%
       E. Issues related to long-term care 52.7%
       9. Do you ordinarily check your Medicare bills for 
     accuracy?
       A. Yes 77.9%
       B. No 11.3%
       No response 10.8%
       10. How often do you find out the cost of Medicare 
     procedures prior to having them done?
       A. Always 19.3%
       B. Usually 21.4%
       C. Occasionally 20.5%
       D. Never 25.7%
       No response 13.1%
       11. How often do you shop for more economical treatment of 
     comparable quality?
       A. Always 16.6%
       B. Usually 16.5%
       C. Occasionally 17.5%
       D. Never 34.3%
       No response 15%
       12. If you were rewarded monetarily for finding more 
     affordable treatment of comparable quality, would you?
       A. Yes 55%
       B. No 11.5%
       C. Undecided 19.8%
       No response 13.6%
       13. Have you ever suspected fraud or abuse on your Medicare 
     bills?
       A. Yes 38.5%
       B. No 48.5%
       No response 12.6%
       14. If you find instances of billing errors on Medicare 
     bills, do you do anything to rectify the situation? (If so, 
     give details and the usual outcome)
       A. Always 31.9%
       B. Usually 14%
       C. Occasionally 10.1%
       D. Never 12.4%
       E. Not applicable 16.5%
       No response 15.6%
       15. Would you try to locate and report instances of fraud 
     and abuse on your Medicare bills, if there was a financial 
     incentive for doing so?
       A. Yes 72%
       B. No 6.9%
       C. Undecided 9%
       No response 12%
       16. Do you think that senior citizens should have greater 
     choice in their medical care programs, assuming that Medicare 
     is one of the choices?
       A. Yes 79.5%
       B. No 4.2%
       C. Undecided 7.8%
       No response 8.5%
       17. What are your major concerns regarding health care?
       18. If you could tell Newt one thing about saving Medicare 
     what would that be?

                          ____________________