[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14159]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICARE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, let me take a few minutes to comment on 
what is taking place today in the release of some initial working 
documents on Medicare modernization by members of the Finance 
Committee.
  Prefacing that, I will say that we have a lot of work to do over the 
next 3 weeks in order to address an issue that is important to every 
single American, and that is giving our seniors and individuals with 
disabilities health care security.
  Today there are about 35 million seniors on Medicare and about 5 
million individuals with disabilities. We are also speaking to and 
acting for those soon-to-be seniors in future generations.
  I commend my colleagues who have done yeoman's work--Senator Baucus 
and Senator Grassley--and for their commitment to advancing Medicare 
modernization, strengthening and moving Medicare down the field so we 
can deliver that health care security to our seniors. The goal is 
twofold: to strengthen and improve Medicare and, at the same time, 
provide meaningful prescription drug benefits to seniors and Americans 
with disabilities.
  I recognize it is a huge challenge to address this very complex 
program but it is one that I know this body is up to, one we have been 
working very hard on for years, and it is one that I believe we can 
accomplish in the next 3 weeks in the Senate.
  There were a couple of concerns raised in the last several days that 
I briefly want to mention. First, where are we and why act now? Why can 
we not wait and put this off? It is driven very much by the 
demographics of the aging population, where, over the next 30 years, we 
will have a doubling in the number of seniors; but in terms of workers 
actually paying into the program itself, that will be falling off 
continually over time. Thus, we need to take this opportunity while we 
are adding this prescription drug benefit to modernize the program so 
seniors and individuals with disabilities will continue to get good 
care and hopefully improve that care in this environment where we have 
to address the issues of solvency and sustainability.
  The Finance Committee has held over 30 hearings on Medicare over the 
past 4 years, at least 7 devoted to prescription drug coverage alone. 
Last Friday, now 4 days ago, the Finance Committee had another hearing 
to focus very specifically on the proposal put forth by Chairman 
Grassley and Senator Baucus. That was the third committee hearing this 
year on Medicare.
  On Thursday of this week, the day after tomorrow, the Finance 
Committee will meet in executive session to amend and vote on the 
Grassley-Baucus proposal. And then the following week, on that Monday, 
that bill will be brought to the floor of the Senate and will be 
debated and likely amended in some shape or form over a 2-week period.
  We are approaching this issue in a systematic way, in an orderly way, 
in a way that is reasonable, and in a way that is thoughtful.
  Some concerns people are talking about are that Medicare denies some 
seniors coverage. Let me be clear, we will make sure this coverage is 
available to every senior everywhere. We will specifically be working 
to ensure access in rural areas. We will be creating public-private 
partnerships that will offer choice--again, it is voluntary--but will 
be offering choice for all seniors in every corner of America.
  Secondly, many seniors want the certainty of knowing nothing is going 
to be taken away from them. Seniors might ask: Do I have to give up 
what I have now? Are you forcing me into some new system? The answer is 
no. This is a voluntary program. All of us will be able to look every 
senior in their eyes and say: You can keep exactly what you have now if 
that is what you want, if that is what you desire. We will be able for 
the first time to say there are options that include choices you may 
not have today in Medicare, such as preventive care, such as chronic 
disease management.
  The fact is the current program is fragmented. It does not provide 
adequate coverage. I know as a physician and I strongly believe as a 
policymaker it does not adequately cover preventive care. It does not 
cover disease management or chronic disease management. As we all know, 
it does not cover outpatient prescription drugs. I do believe good 
health depends on giving seniors good options, the opportunity to 
choose the plan that best meets their needs.
  I have also heard about Medicare reform proposals relating to HMOs, 
forcing people into HMOs. This plan does not do that. Simply, this plan 
does not force anybody into an HMO. It is a voluntary proposal. Some 
HMOs have performed very well. But the better comparison, instead of 
looking at HMOs, is the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. 
Seniors will have the option to get a plan similar to what we have as 
Senators, Members of the House, and other Federal employees have. I 
should add, this program has a longer history than Medicare. We have 
learned how to improve it, modify it, and make it a better program over 
the last 40 years.
  I close by saying I believe seniors deserve the options that Federal 
employees have. We know Federal employees are very satisfied with the 
quality of care they receive. Seniors deserve this opportunity to 
choose. They deserve the opportunity to obtain care that is more 
flexible, that is less bureaucratic, and that has less paperwork.
  Seniors deserve care that keeps them healthy by incorporating those 
preventive measures. Seniors deserve care that protects them from 
catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses. America's seniors should have the 
ability to see the doctor they choose, even if that doctor is outside 
the network. America's seniors deserve a system that focuses on their 
needs to keep them healthy and not just to respond to acute episodic 
illness.
  Since 1965, Medicare has admirably served a generation of America's 
seniors. We owe tomorrow's seniors no less. That will take a response 
in this body to give seniors access to the care they truly deserve. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthen and improve 
Medicare over the next few weeks.

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