[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
40th anniversary of one of our nation's most vital and successful 
social programs: Medicare. To this day, it remains one of the greatest 
accomplishments, providing near universal coverage to America's most 
vulnerable citizens.
  Since its inception in 1965, Medicare has drastically reduced the 
number of Americans living below the poverty line, and considerably 
reduced the financial burden on seniors and their families. The program 
has increased life expectancy among Americans, giving minorities 
greater access to health care, and given individuals with disabilities 
access to health care that was never previously available. All the 
while, this program has operated efficiently with our tax dollars. 
Administrative costs average less than two percent of expenditures, a 
fraction of what private insurance companies spend on such costs.
  Yet while we have seen remarkable success in the last 40 years, we 
must ensure that the mission of Medicare is carried on through this new 
century. So far, this Congress has fallen woefully short. The 
Republican majority pushed through the Medicare Modernization Act of 
2003 to provide prescription drug coverage to American seniors. A noble 
idea, but this law falls far short of the universal coverage and 
prohibits the government from using common sense negotiation strategies 
to keep drug costs low.
  As future generations reflect on the legacy of this Congress, in many 
respects it will be shaped by the commitments--rather than the 
rhetoric--that we make to our seniors. Medicare is a program that 
offers stability and hope for millions. It is our responsibility to 
continue the strong history Medicare has built. Let's give America's 
seniors the drug and medical coverage that they deserve.

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