[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICARE

  (Mr. GOSAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, 10,000 older Americans are entering the 
Medicare system every day, so access to quality physicians is more 
important than ever. The sad fact is we are not paying our Medicare 
providers enough to keep their doors open, much less accept new 
patients.
  In usual Washington fashion, past Congresses have kicked the can down 
the road; and if we don't act before the end of the year, physicians 
will face a 27 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursement.
  We need to come together and find a better method to pay our Medicare 
physicians for the long term and include it in a properly thought-out 
health care reform. If we continue to allow these flawed policies, 
Medicare patients will suffer, and we owe our seniors better.
  Our seniors were made promises by those that came before us serving 
you today, and I'm here to tell you that we will keep those promises. 
Taking up this important fix to health care before it's too late will 
allow us to continue to be the best Nation, a healthy Nation that we 
can be proud to leave our children and our grandchildren.

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