[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PROTECTING SENIORS FROM MEDICARE CUTS

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on an issue that affects 
hundreds of thousands of seniors in Minnesota.
  Over half of the medical-eligible seniors in my district have chosen 
now to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans to meet their health care 
needs. The Medicare Advantage program has been a resounding success by 
providing better quality care with more options. However, the proposed 
cuts to the program, if enacted, will now mean that seniors in 
Minnesota could see their premiums increase by nearly $1,000 annually. 
On top of that, seniors will face a loss of benefits and less choice.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to take steps to strengthen our Medicare system 
and ensure it stays solvent for generations to come, and these proposed 
cuts are not the answer. By encouraging more health care coordination, 
creating better incentives for providers, and using new technologies, 
we can lower costs while providing more improved care. These are areas 
where we can find bipartisan agreement to make progress and make sure 
that our seniors are protected from these devastating cuts.

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