[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 16, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      MEDICARE IMPROVEMENT FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHELE BACHMANN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 2008

  Mrs. BACHMANN. Madam Speaker, today, the House voted to override the 
President's veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients 
and Providers Act. Although I had previously opposed this legislation, 
I reluctantly cast my vote in favor of overriding the veto. While I 
maintain my concerns over the funding cuts to Medicare Advantage plans 
contained in the bill, H.R. 6331 corrects the scheduled physician 
payment cuts and we have simply run out of time to negotiate further on 
this matter.
  Ensuring access to health care is critical for all Americans. It is 
especially important that senior citizens, who are at a particularly 
vulnerable time, receive high quality, affordable care. Consequently, 
in 2003, Congress created Medicare Advantage plans which combine the 
reliable nature of Medicare with the quality and value of a 
competitively driven market. With nearly 10 million Medicare 
beneficiaries currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, up nearly 
60 percent since 2004, America's seniors are seeing the benefits of 
these plans, offering greater choice, lower out-of-pocket costs, and 
expanded service.
  Unfortunately, the bill placed before us today actually falls short 
of a compromise that would have staved off the devastating 
reimbursement cuts and preserved valuable access to Medicare Advantage 
plans. Seeing how near Senate Finance Committee leaders were to 
reaching an optimal compromise, I originally opposed H.R. 6331. 
However, it is clear now that this bill represents the only vehicle to 
combat the painful cuts to physician payments and to maintain seniors' 
access to Medicare providers, and therefore it must be supported.
  Madam Speaker, America's physicians have called on Congress to 
prevent a devastating cut to their Medicare reimbursement payments. 
This cut could have dangerous implications for America's seniors, 
risking access to the health coverage on which they rely. While H.R. 
6331 does not represent the full extent of what I feel could have been 
done to address the health care needs for our senior citizens, it does 
defeat the most imminent threat. I remain hopeful that Congress will 
revisit this matter and restore Medicare Advantage to its true 
potential

                          ____________________