[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25801]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             MEDICARE CUTS

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, in order to pay for a government-run health 
care plan, Democrats obviously plan to cut Medicare. They call it a 
``savings,'' but it is cutting essential programs and services that are 
now available for our seniors.
  I'm particularly concerned about the $117 billion in cuts in the 
Medicare Advantage program. In my district, there are over 20,000 
seniors that are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. You cannot expect that 
they will continue to have the same level of coverage after you cut 
this program by $117 billion. Hasn't that been the President's promise 
all this time? If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance?
  My constituents want to keep their insurance coverage through 
Medicare Advantage. But cutting $117 billion will cause providers to 
simply exit the Medicare Advantage program, reducing options for these 
seniors and preventing them from keeping the insurance of their choice.

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