[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      MEDICARE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHELE BACHMANN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 24, 2008

  Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I must reluctantly rise in opposition to 
H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. 
While I applaud the House for taking under consideration a bill to 
address the impending cut to Medicare physician reimbursement payments, 
H.R. 6331 contains provisions that would rob America's seniors of 
crucial health care access in the form of funding cuts to Medicare 
Advantage.
  Indeed, H.R. 6331 contains a provision that would reverse the 
scheduled 10.6 percent payment cut set to take effect on July 1, 2008, 
a provision I have supported in the past. That being said, the bill 
also contains deep cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, which millions of 
seniors depend on to serve their broad health care needs. These cuts, 
totaling nearly $50 billion, would place the burden of leadership's 
failed Medicare reform policies directly on the backs of America's 
seniors.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  June 25, 2008--On Page E1354 the following appeared: the 
scheduled 10.1 percent
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: the scheduled 
10.6 percent


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  To be sure, Medicare Advantage is popular choice for seniors across 
the Nation. With nearly 10 million Medicare beneficiaries currently 
enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, up nearly 60 percent since 2004, 
it is clear that America's seniors are seeing the benefits of the 
competition-driven plans. These plans offer greater choice, lower out-
of-pocket costs, and expanded service to America's seniors who seek 
value and quality in their health care coverage.
  Specifically, H.R. 6331 would target those beneficiaries who have 
chosen Private Fee-for-Service, PFFS, plans through Medicare Advantage 
by requiring PFFS plans to establish costly provider networks if they 
wish to continue to operate in areas that already have two or more 
networked plans. This requirement would apply to 96 percent of all 
counties in the United States, and, according to the nonpartisan 
Congressional Budget Office, CBO, disrupt PFFS plans for more than 2 
million seniors by 2013. In my State of Minnesota, each of the nearly 
73,000 individual Medicare Advantage PFFS plans would be in jeopardy.
  Furthermore, it is unfortunate that rather than considering a bill 
that will remedy the problem at hand, Democrat leadership chose to 
bring a bill to the floor that has been given a veto threat from the 
President. Both providers and patients deserve a bill that can be 
seriously considered for signature into law. This is not a topic on 
which we should play political games.
  Mr. Speaker, America's physicians need Congress to prevent a 
devastating cut to their Medicare reimbursement payments. However, the 
burden of the solution should not be placed on the shoulders of 
America's seniors, gambling with access to the health coverage on which 
they rely.

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