[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19548-19549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
                 HEALTH CARE REFORM FOR OLDER AMERICANS

  (Mr. MAFFEI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MAFFEI. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I welcomed to the Capitol Dr. 
Sharon Brangman from my district, who was recently named the next 
president of the American Geriatrics Society. This morning she told me 
and other Members how physicians who

[[Page 19549]]

work with the elderly are spending an overwhelming majority of their 
time providing primary care often without appropriate compensation 
through the current Medicare formulas. The extra year of training and 
additional expertise actually mean less pay, which is one of the 
reasons why we have an acute shortage of geriatricians in America.
  Mr. Speaker, baby boomers entering into the later stages of life will 
cause America's older population to double in the next few years. We 
must reform our health care system to adequately compensate doctors for 
providing preventative and coordinated care to patients in every stage 
of life. If we do it right, it will save money because many superfluous 
and harmful treatments will be eliminated and seniors will not only 
live longer but better lives.

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