[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ENSURING THERE ARE ENOUGH MEDICAID DOCTORS

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, you know we have a problem today in that 
many patients who are enrolled in Medicaid really face a tough time 
finding a doctor who will accept their coverage. A recent article in my 
hometown paper, The Dallas Morning News, highlighted the troubles of a 
young girl in north Texas covered by Medicaid. She couldn't find a 
doctor to treat her, stating that because of the lack of Medicaid 
doctors, ``Medicaid patients often grow sicker while hunting for a 
doctor.''
  We have an obligation to ensure that Americans covered under 
Medicaid, who also happen to be some of our poorest and neediest 
patients, children and American pregnant women, can see the doctor they 
need to see when they need to see them. Expanding the number of 
Americans who qualify for Medicaid without first making certain that 
there are enough doctors to see those Medicaid patients is 
irresponsible and is a disservice to these individuals.
  To avoid this crisis, I propose that the Federal Government undertake 
the changes necessary to address the barriers of access to a doctor for 
any government program. Throwing more Americans onto the rolls of 
government-run health care without first ensuring that there will be a 
doctor to see them is wrong. Coverage should equal access to a doctor 
and must be part of the national health care debate.
  I encourage the people to go to my Web site, www.healthcaucus.org.

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