[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17542-17543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HIKE IN MEDICARE PREMIUMS

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, President Bush promised in 
his convention acceptance speech to honor America's seniors by giving 
them immediate help. The very next day, his administration announced 
the largest Medicare premium increase in the program's history.
  This year most Medicare beneficiaries paid $66 a month for physician 
services. Thanks to the President's action, these monthly premiums will 
rise more than 17 percent, forcing seniors with tight incomes to fork 
over about $78 per month.

[[Page 17543]]

  Now, President Bush tried to blame the premium hike on rising health 
care costs, but he ignores the fact that the Medicare bill he and 
Republicans fought so hard to make law is also responsible for these 
record increases. That is because the law gives insurers billions of 
dollars as an enticement to keep seniors on their rolls.
  Seniors deserve better than the treatment they are receiving from 
President Bush and congressional Republicans. Democrats continue to 
support a prescription drug law that would provide meaningful 
assistance without forcing up Medicare premiums.

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