[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4655-H4656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SENIOR CITIZENS BEWARE

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the senior citizens of this country better 
beware again, because the Republicans once again have unveiled their 
budget resolution for this year, and it cuts Medicare and Medicaid 
drastically in order to once again provide tax breaks for the 
wealthiest in this country. Even worse, it actually changes the 
Medicare and Medicaid programs so much that we would not even recognize 
them.
  Seniors are going to be forced into managed care systems because of 
balanced billing provisions. We expect that they will also be paying a 
lot more money out of their own pockets in order to pay for Medicare.
  The cuts in the Medicare Part A Program that finances hospitals and 
health care institutions are even more severe essentially than 
previously suggested, and what that means is a lot of hospitals not 
only in urban areas but in rural areas and throughout the country will 
actually be forced to close because

[[Page H4656]]

they will not be getting the money from the Federal Government that 
they need in order to continue to operate.
  What we are seeing here again is the Republican agenda, which is 
essentially to destroy Medicare as we know it and create a second-class 
health care system for senior citizens.

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