[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 26 (Thursday, March 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1875-S1876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FIRST MEETING OF THE NATIONAL BIPARTISAN COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF
MEDICARE
Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, last Friday, March 6, the newly appointed
National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare held its first
meeting. Chaired by myself and Congressman Bill Thomas, Administrative
Chairman, the commission was established by last year's balanced budget
agreement to thoroughly study and assess the entire program--top to
bottom--and make specific recommendations to Congress and the
Administration for fundamental Medicare reform. Our target deadline for
getting these bipartisan, consensus recommendations in your hands is
March 1, 1999.
When I say consensus here, I mean that any recommendation we put
forward will have received 11 votes--a super majority of the 17
commission members. I remain optimistic that our recommendations will
receive an even higher level of support than that required under the
statute. Every member of the commission recognizes how very important
it is for us to succeed in coming up with something that can be passed
by Congress and signed into law.
I think we got the commission's work off to a very good start. We are
just beginning what promises to be an exciting year as we come together
to protect and preserve a program that we all agree has served us well
over the last 33 years. But we also have to face the reality that if
Medicare is to be there for another 33 years and beyond,
[[Page S1876]]
we must look beyond the program's financial solvency and address issues
like quality, equity, and efficiency as well.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of my opening statement from
the first commission meeting on March 6 be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Opening Statement by Senator Breaux, Medicare Commission Meeting, March
6, 1998
I am very pleased to bring to order the first meeting of
the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.
I am honored to be chairing a group of such knowledgeable and
well-respected people for the important task of making
recommendations to preserve and improve the Medicare program.
That doesn't mean looking at the program only in economic
terms or in terms of solvency. It also means looking at the
fundamental question of what we want Medicare to do and what
kind of health care system we want for our elderly while
addressing issues such as quality, equity, and efficiency.
I was appointed chairman of this commission 7 weeks ago
today and in that time I have worked closely with Congressman
Bill Thomas to establish an operational framework for the
commission. I am pleased to be working with Congressman
Thomas and I think that our working together testifies to the
bipartisan nature of this commission. Let me say from the
outset that I am firmly committed to having this whole group
work together in a bipartisan, inclusive fashion. That is the
only way we are going to have an end-product that enjoys
widespread support in the Congress, in the Administration and
across this nation.
I am also very pleased that one of the first orders of
business was asking Bobby Jindal to serve as our Executive
Director. He was an asset to Louisiana as Secretary of the
Department of Health and Hospitals and I know he will be an
asset to this Commission. Congressman Thomas will be
introducing Bobby shortly.
I have said before that everything will be on the table. We
shouldn't begin our work by excluding or endorsing any
options. Every member of this commission should know that his
or her views are going to be considered. The statute creating
the commission requires 11 of 17 votes in order to issue a
report so this is not going to be a report that is supported
only by Democrats or Republicans. In fact, I don't think we
will be truly successful unless we have agreement among an
overwhelming majority of the commission members. As President
Clinton said to the commission members yesterday, if there is
not a consensus--don't let it be your fault.
The process we are suggesting for the work of the
commission is designed to be inclusive and to build the
consensus we need to be successful. The suggested task forces
are designed to help gather information and develop a range
of options for consideration by the full commission.
Congressman Thomas and I sent out a survey to the membership
about how to structure this process, including the task
forces, and many of the comments and suggestions we received
are reflected in the documents you have in front of you. You
should look at these documents as a conceptual outline of the
Commission's goals throughout the year. As we have stated--
the timeline we have presented to you is designed to be a
tool, not a work plan or a final product, to help focus the
Commission's decision-making and to measure its progress. We
may find that it is necessary to change the agenda and have
more meetings as we go through the year. We may also expand
or delete topics depending on the Commission's interest.
No one would dispute that we have a very difficult task
ahead of us. We have been charged by the Congress and the
Administration with making recommendations on ways to
preserve and improve the Medicare program. In order to do
that, we must first come to an agreement on the scope of the
problem facing Medicare. There will be some disagreement on
this issue as there probably will be on most issues presented
to the commission. But I am convinced that if we work
together in a bipartisan way and lay all the facts and
suggestions on the table, we can have a constructive debate
on this issue.
We can't afford to let these issues be politicized any
longer. There is just too much at stake for the health
security of our senior citizens and the fiscal well-being
of this country. We must put aside the old ways of dealing
with Medicare--do away with ``Medagoguery''--do away with
the blame game where everyone scrambles to pin the blame
for failure on the other party--do away with the
shortsighted SOS approach which is woefully inadequate
when you look at the demographic realities facing this
program.
I believe that there is no greater challenge facing this
country right now than how to preserve Medicare for future
generations. While we added a few years to the life of the
trust fund in last year's balanced budget agreement, we did
nothing to prepare for the 77 million baby boomers who will
depend upon Medicare for their health care beginning in 2010.
In the context of overall entitlement reform, how to go
about fixing Medicare is very complex. Unlike Social
Security, which promises specific levels of income, Medicare
promises specific health benefits which are susceptible to
volatile increases in medical inflation and the high cost of
advances in medical technology. Part of the problem with
getting a handle on the scope of the problem is the
unpredictability in estimates regarding such things as health
spending and economic growth. But the demographic realities
will not change.
We all know how politically sensitive the issue of Medicare
is. That is why the Congress and the Administration created
this Commission--to make the tough recommendations for fixing
the program and to make it easier for elected officials to
take the tough political step of enacting these
recommendations into law.
For most of the things we do in Congress, the most
important objective is to craft legislation that can pass.
There are some people who would rather stand for what they
believe is the ideal solution and never compromise, even if
that means nothing gets done. The primary objective of this
Commission should be to come up with the best proposal
possible and then worry about how we're going to get it
passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President.
Let me assure my fellow commission members that my previous
positions and efforts on Medicare are not going to dictate
this Commission's agenda. I hope you all make the same
commitment.
I know there has been a lot of attention given recently to
the issue of expanding Medicare and allowing certain groups
to ``buy in'' early. First, let me reiterate that this
commission has been specifically charged by statute with
making ``recommendations on modifying age-based eligibility
to correspond to changes in age-based eligibility under the
OASDI (Social Security) program and on the feasibility of
allowing individuals between the age of 62 and the Medicare
eligibility age to buy into the Medicare program.'' This
language is explicit and this Commission will be thoroughly
exploring this idea. As I've said several times in the past
few months, I think that Congress will let the Commission do
its work and study the impact of this policy on the Medicare
program before moving ahead in Congress. However, having said
that, I certainly wouldn't oppose legislation if it is
offered and if it is the will of this Congress to move
forward with legislation of this nature. There are an
estimated 41 million uninsured people in this country and
that is a serious problem that affects everyone--not just
those who don't have insurance. Any efforts to decrease the
number of uninsured people in this country (such as the
children's health bill last year) should be given careful
consideration.
We have a huge challenge of trying to help educate the
American people about the seriousness of the problems facing
Medicare but we must realize that nothing is going to pass
the Congress and signed into law that doesn't enjoy their
support.
I am hopeful that the Congress and the Administration will
act on whatever recommendations this commission puts forward.
We as elected officials have a responsibility to future
generations to fix this program so that our children and
grandchildren can enjoy the same guarantee of health
insurance that their parents did. I don't want the report of
this Commission to simply gather dust on a library shelf.
Let me close by saying that I am optimistic. I know there
are a lot of people ``inside the Beltway'' who think that
this issue is too politically sensitive to inspire meaningful
debate. That it is unrealistic to think that such a diverse
group of people representing such a wide range of opinion can
reach a consensus. But I believe that this Commission faces a
unique and critical opportunity that cannot be squandered.
Medicare has been a success for 33 years and is a vital part
of our national fabric. We have an obligation to ensure that
the success of this program continues for the next 33 years
and beyond. Our parents and grandparents have reaped the
benefits of health security afforded by Medicare since 1965--
our children and grandchildren deserve no less. If we make
this a truly bipartisan process, hear from everyone who has a
stake in preserving this program for future generations, and
focus on our similarities and not our differences, we will
succeed.
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