[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 3, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H12221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REFORMING HEALTH CARE IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE WAY

  (Mrs. EMERSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, before we debate the 1,990-page health 
care bill that my colleagues and I are all trying to read this week, 
let me share with you how this bill defines a checkup, known in this 
legislation as a ``primary care service.'' I will quote from page 
1,056.
  ``The term `primary care services' means evaluation and management 
services, without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing 
the services, that are procedure codes (for services covered under 
title XVIII) for services in the category designated Evaluation and 
Management in the Health Care Common Procedure Coding System 
(established by the Secretary under section 1848(c)(5) as of December 
31, 2009, and as subsequently modified by the Secretary).''
  Now, that is a checkup. And all that section of the bill really says 
is we are going to define it in the future.
  If I have time, Mr. Speaker, I try to read every bill, and as this 
legislation goes, it is pretty darn complicated. But what we need to 
accomplish is very simple: We need to lower the costs of health care in 
order to improve access to the system. It doesn't take 1,990 pages. We 
could do it in 19 pages. And we ought to do it in terms that the 
American public can understand.

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