[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    HEALTH INSURANCE EXPANSION SHOULD NOT COST PATIENTS COVERAGE OR 
                                BENEFITS

  (Mr. BOOZMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say that health insurance 
expansion should not end up costing patients their quality of care or 
their benefits. In January 2008 the Arkansas Department of Health 
reported that 51,707 Arkansans were currently enrolled in Medicare 
Advantage. The Department also noted that the number of enrollees was 
increasing every day.
  Most of these men and women are located in rural areas of the State, 
places where access to health care is already strained and doctors are 
no longer seeing new Medicare patients. With the massive proposed cuts 
to Medicare Advantage, how am I to explain to these patients that the 
reform that they've been waiting for, the reform that many claim will 
broaden access and help them get the services they need will actually 
cost them the quality of care and coverage that they depend on?
  I cannot find a good explanation, and I will not support legislation 
that sacrifices the health of seniors in Arkansas by cutting Medicare 
Advantage.

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