[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 30, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1714-H1715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MEDICARE MODERNIZATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to talk about the Medicare 
Modernization Act, the reform bill that was passed by this body back in 
December.
  I think the first question to ask is, who remembers what they were 
driving in 1960 or perhaps what a parent was driving in 1960? One of 
the most popular cars at that time was a Rambler; and if one thinks 
about the options available and the safety features in that car, we 
would really be amazed at how far we have come. There were no seat 
belts. There were no air bags. There were no GPS systems. There was 
just a lot different with vehicular travel back then.
  And I think it is a wonderful analogy to think about when we are 
talking about health care in this country. Because Medicare in its 
inception in the 1960s really has changed very little over the years; 
and what we have is a situation where our seniors are faced with the 
same type of options, the same menu of services that they have had over 
the last 40 years. That is why we needed to pass the Medicare reform 
bill, and that we did.
  The bill provides, I think, seniors with access to choices in health 
care, with easier access to health care, and it also provides immediate 
relief for the rising need for access in prescription drugs.

                              {time}  1815

  Under the Medicare Modernization Act, seniors have a choice. First of 
all, when we are talking about the prescription drug program, that 
program is completely voluntary.
  It is voluntary, and seniors in my district, some of whom have 
existing coverage, will not have to participate in the program. It is 
not a one-size-fits-

[[Page H1715]]

all-type program. The design of the bill is to give seniors choices to 
better fit their families' needs as far as prescription drugs are 
concerned. So seniors have a choice whether they are going to sign up 
for the prescription drug coverage.
  Also, if you look at the larger body of the bill and look at the 
choices that the seniors will have, they can actually now have a choice 
of the type of health insurance coverage that they access. Much like we 
do here in Congress, they have a decision to make about which plan 
bests fit their medical need. It puts seniors back into the driver's 
seat.
  One of the, I think, most interesting parts of the bill is we really 
tried to improve the quality of health care that seniors can receive, 
much like many in the private sector enjoy today, much like we here as 
Members of Congress enjoy. We enjoy improved quality of care through 
accessing preemptive health care screenings. So in the Medicare bill, 
we included new screenings, diabetic screenings, blood screenings to 
detect cardiovascular disease. These are tests that are indicative of 
disease and have a broad array of applications. Medicare participants 
will now have access to these screenings.
  Also, we put in a provision for a free physical for the new entrants 
to Medicare. There is also now a provision which allows seniors to 
access a disease management function. I know a lot of us know senior 
citizens who deal with a lot of specialists, and sometimes those 
specialists do not talk to one another. Well, this disease management 
function, while voluntary and optional, will and may help many of our 
senior citizens.
  Also in the Medicare Modernization Act, we try to deal with the very 
pressing problem of low-income seniors, and we gave help to those who 
need it; and any senior who falls within 135 percent of the poverty 
level will now pay very little as far as their health care coverage and 
certainly as far as prescription drugs. Essentially, their drug bills 
will be eliminated.
  I think the final version of this bill did include a provision which 
allowed for the creation of health savings accounts, I think something 
that is revolutionary and will, once again, put the spotlight back on 
the doctor/patient relationship and putting the seniors back into the 
driver's seat as far as which type of health care that they can access, 
and it also ensures that the seniors themselves can make their medical 
decisions without the intervention of a third party that may not be 
familiar with the particular health of that senior.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to make sure that we in this body 
realize that we have gone and taken the first step toward modernizing 
health care for seniors. We have given them choice. We have given them 
hope for a discount on their prescription drug bills. This June, there 
will be the introduction of discount cards that will afford seniors up 
to 50 percent of a discount on the cost of prescription drugs. So there 
is immediate relief that our seniors across the Nation will experience.

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