[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the important 
strides Congress is making toward our Nation's health care reform.
  I am pleased the Senate will be including a public option in their 
version of the health reform bill. A public option is absolutely 
essential. America's health insurance industry needs a mechanism that 
will level the playing field and protect consumers. The public option 
that we create must be fair and pay doctors and hospitals accordingly.
  Many of us are very concerned that our rural doctors and hospitals 
are having many troubles. That is why I support language that will 
direct the Institute of Medicine to study the Medicare reimbursement 
formula and direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fix 
these flawed reimbursements.
  Medical professionals in my home State of Iowa were recently ranked 
second by the Commonwealth Foundation for providing some of the best 
care in the Nation. Yet when we are reimbursed by Medicare, they 
receive half as much per enrollee compared to many other States. 
Without fair pay, these providers will be pushed further into the red 
and out of Iowa and other States with the same problem.
  The studies that we have proposed to revise Medicare reimbursement 
rates and create quality measures will pave the way.

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