[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19848]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL 
                         SECURITY AND MEDICARE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, with the announcement of his proposal to 
modernize and strengthen Medicare, President Clinton has demonstrated 
that we can achieve needed Medicare reform without compromising our 
clear commitment to the fundamental principles of that basic and highly 
successful program. Our goal is to preserve and strengthen Medicare, so 
that it effectively meets the needs of all senior citizens in the years 
ahead, as it has done so well for the past thirty-four years.
  Above all, we must reject any proposals that undermine the ability of 
senior citizens to obtain the health care they need, or that attempt to 
transform Medicare into a voucher program, as the Medicare Commission's 
recommendations and other premium support plans do. Such proposals are 
risky schemes. They abandon Medicare's successful social insurance 
compact, and current guarantee of a defined benefit. Premium support 
proposals could price conventional Medicare out of reach and force 
senior citizens to join HMOs. They threaten to compromise the quality 
of care and reduce access to care. That is unacceptable to senior 
citizens, and it should be unacceptable to members of Congress.
  There are a number of hard-working organizations dedicated to the 
well-being of senior citizens. I welcome this opportunity to comment on 
one such group--a distinguished public interest organization that works 
effectively to protect the interests of senior citizens and ensure 
fairness in Medicare reform. The National Committee to Preserve Social 
Security and Medicare is a major leader in the national effort to 
protect and strengthen both Social Security and Medicare. I commend the 
Committee and its members for their commitment and their leadership, 
and I look forward to working closely with them in the critical weeks 
and months ahead to achieve the great goals we share.

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