[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27824]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SUCCESSFUL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM

  (Mr. COURTNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, AARP, an organization of 40 
million Americans over the age of 50, announced the results of a poll 
regarding the Affordable Health Care for America Act. It found that by 
a two-to-one margin AARP supports this bill. And what's not to support?
  This is a bill, for those who care about Medicare, which will close 
the doughnut hole, the infamous 100 percent deductible for seniors who 
are paying for the part D benefit that doesn't pay benefits after 
hitting $2,300 in care. It eliminates copayments for preventive 
services, cancer screenings. But, most importantly, the actuaries for 
the Center for Medicare Services found on Friday that it extends the 
solvency of the Medicare trust fund by 5 years. So instead of going in 
a negative direction, we are strengthening the Medicare trust fund, 
which will ensure that Americans will have one of the most successful 
health programs ever created--Medicare for themselves, their children, 
and their grandchildren.
  AARP, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society all 
support this bill, and the Senate should do the same and pass this 
measure and send it to President Obama for his signature.

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