[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8886]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MEDICARE PART D

  (Mr. HULTGREN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the attention of this 
Chamber to a government program that is under budget and immensely 
popular. In 2003 when Medicare part D was passed, it was hotly 
contested, and rightly so. The Medicare Modernization Act represented 
one of the largest expansions of Medicare since its creation.
  However, what cannot be contested is part D's success. Premiums are 
far below projections--less than half the $61 monthly premium 
originally projected. Benefits packages are actually expanding, giving 
seniors more coverage and options. The CBO has confirmed that the 
increased usage of prescription drugs by seniors is offset by savings 
in medical services.
  Medicare part D is keeping our seniors healthy for less, and they 
love it: 96 percent say their coverage works well.
  The benefits of competition, prevention, and consumer choice have 
been tested and proven. It begs the question: When will we apply these 
principles to other Federal health care programs? And why is the 
President trying to cripple part D through price controls and new taxes 
when it is performing well?

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