[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 157 (Tuesday, October 27, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11811-H11812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, if you like your current 
plan, it had better not be Medicare Advantage because the Democrat 
health plan proposal cuts $162 billion from that program for our 
seniors. The reason is twofold; they need cuts to pay

[[Page H11812]]

for their new government-run health care program and they think 
insurers in the program are overpaid by 14 percent. Tell that to the 25 
percent of seniors who are enrolled in the program nationwide. I guess 
they weren't included in the folks who can ``keep their plan if they 
like it.''
  Perhaps the Democrats didn't look at the plus side of Medicare 
Advantage. Studies show that those in the program spend fewer days in 
the hospital and experience fewer readmissions. A study in California 
showed that those enrolled in Advantage plans spent 30 percent fewer 
days in the hospital and were 15 percent less likely to be readmitted 
to the hospital. I would say that accounts for a huge savings.
  The Congressional Budget Office also says the Democrats' health care 
plan would increase seniors' Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 
percent over the next decade. I thought reform was supposed to be 
improvements, not a plan to soak our seniors.

                          ____________________