[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 28595]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 3075, THE MEDICARE BALANCED BUDGET REFINEMENT ACT

  (Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Balanced Budget Refinement Act, H.R. 3075. This bill is vital to the 
successful continuation of Medicare as we know it. This bill restores 
some of the changes that were made to the Medicare program back in 1997 
under the Balanced Budget Act.
  In the district that I serve, two Medicare+Choice providers announced 
that they would terminate services for seniors. The beneficiaries were 
understandably devastated. I held a town hall meeting on this subject 
with the beneficiaries, with the Medicare+Choice providers, and with 
the government. The response was overwhelming. s
  Some of the beneficiaries decided that they were not going to lose 
without a fight. Joyce Scantling of Racine, Wisconsin, has worked 
tirelessly on this issue. Together with 50 or 60 seniors and 
beneficiaries, they have rallied support around Medicare legislation to 
fix these reimbursement rates.
  I hold in my hand right here thousands of signatures from Wisconsin's 
seniors and Medicare beneficiaries urging Congress to pass Medicare 
legislation to fix these reimbursement rates.

                          ____________________