[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. Reed, Mr. Kohl, and Mr. 
        Martinez):
  S. 3739. A bill to establish a Consortium on the Impact of Technology 
in Aging Health Services; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. I am pleased to join my colleagues, Senator Coleman, 
Senator Kohl, Senator Martinez, Congressman Ramstad, and Congresswoman 
Eshoo, today to introduce the Consortium on the Impact of Technology in 
Health Services Act.
  We face a challenging and exciting time in the evolution of America's 
health care system. Today, roughly 40 million men and women are over 
age 65. A full doubling of the elderly population is predicted to occur 
by the year 2030--with the first of the baby boom generation turning 65 
in the year 2011--only 5 years from now.
  Nowhere is the aging of the population more apparent than in my home 
State of Rhode Island. We exceed the national average in terms of 
citizens over the age of 65 as well as those over the age of 85. In a 
State of slightly more than a million people, almost 15 percent of the 
population is over the age of 65 today. According to Census Bureau 
estimates, the number of elderly is expected to increase to 18.8 
percent of Rhode Island's population by 2025. Rhode Island also has one 
of the highest concentrations of persons age 85 and over in the 
country.
  Dramatic increases in life expectancy over the last century can be 
attributed to tremendous advances in public health and medical 
research. These demographic changes also pose new challenges to our 
health care system that require creative and innovative solutions.
  In addition to Americans living longer, keeping up with advancements 
in medical science poses unique burdens and challenges for our health 
care system. We are facing shortages in a number of critical health 
care fields--nurses, primary care physicians, and geriatricians--to 
name a few. These workforce issues further hinder our ability to keep 
up with the health care needs of aging Americans.
  Greater use of technology has the potential to enhance the quality of 
care to our aging population and enable seniors to remain healthy and 
live independently longer.
  The application of technology in the aging health care services field 
would also help mitigate the burden on providers by allowing 
physicians, home health care workers, and family members to keep in 
regular contact with patients and loved ones. Better monitoring of 
elderly patients would also serve to identify changes in their health 
condition before a serious problem arises.
  Smarter applications of technology in caring for the aged could also 
address some of the growing concerns with skyrocketing budget deficits. 
As we grapple with Medicare and Medicaid taking up a growing proportion 
of overall Federal spending, we need to carefully balance health care 
expenditures while also improving the quality of care. We need to be 
thoughtful and wiser with our health care dollars as well as creative 
in the provision of services to the elderly.
  The Consortium on the Impact of Technology in Health Services Act 
will bring together experts from the medical, aging, and technology 
fields to build a vision and a framework for the development and 
implementation of a 21st century health care system able to meet the 
needs of our burgeoning aging population.
  We need to change the way we think about health care for our Nation's 
seniors. We need a model that is oriented toward health promotion and 
disease prevention. This legislation gives us a jumpstart on developing 
and implementing the tools and strategies needed to serve the senior 
population of America more effectively and with greater cost savings.
  I am pleased to join with my colleagues in introducing this important 
initiative and hope the Senate will give it careful consideration.
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