[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8364-8365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IMPROVING HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA'S SENIORS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Zeldin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the importance of 
improving health care for America's seniors.
  Living out one's golden years to the max can come with its share of 
challenges, especially as it relates to health care, which is why 
fighting for our seniors and improving their quality of care must 
always be a top priority. Whether at meetings in my Long Island office, 
my mobile office hours, or at various other events in my district in 
Suffolk County, New York, I have met with seniors who are struggling 
with balancing health challenges while being on fixed incomes.
  Many cite a lack of healthcare options and a difficulty in gaining 
access to quality and affordable health care as a result of ObamaCare. 
There are also serious concerns over the solvency of Social Security 
and Medicare, which many seniors rely on for both financial and 
healthcare security.
  As health challenges arise and seniors budgeting based on a fixed 
income, we should do everything we can to ensure that those who need 
medical care and attention are able to access quality care at an 
affordable price without having to jump through hoops. They also should 
be assured that the programs and benefits they rely on will always be 
there for them. ObamaCare has significantly impacted our seniors and 
their access to quality and affordable health care. I frequently hear 
concerns about lost doctors, canceled policies, and higher premiums and 
deductibles.
  Earlier this year, Congress passed the Restoring Americans' 
Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, which would repeal many of the 
flawed major provisions under ObamaCare over a period of 2 years--
specifically, many of the harmful mandates and taxes--so that we can 
increase seniors' access without compromising quality of care or 
efficiency. It is important to improve the quality of health care in 
our country for our Nation's seniors.
  Congress has also taken action to improve Medicare. Over the past 
year, the House has passed a number of bills, including the Protecting 
Seniors' Access to Medicare Act, the Medicare Beneficiary Preservation 
of Choice Act, and the Medicare Advantage enrollment bill--all 
proposals that would protect and preserve Medicare for our seniors who 
rely on it as well as to restore and expand the Medicare open 
enrollment period.
  The House also took action and made significant reforms to Social 
Security and Medicare, saving millions of seniors from significantly 
increased healthcare costs. By working in a bipartisan fashion, 
Congress was able to stave off a massive premium hike for

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seniors who utilize Medicare part B. Without this action, approximately 
8 million seniors across our country would have been subjected to a 52 
percent premium hike for Medicare part B. In this bipartisan effort, 
action was taken to prevent a 20 percent across-the-board cut to Social 
Security disability benefits.
  Moreover, in working across the aisle with my colleagues in the 
House, we were able to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula, also 
known as the doc fix, to prevent there being a 20 percent cut to 
Medicare. This action alone has been seen as the most significant 
Medicare reform that has taken place in years. Without this 
legislation, which is now law, many doctors would have simply stopped 
accepting new Medicare patients or would have even ceased in accepting 
Medicare altogether.
  Congress has also been committed to passing legislation and securing 
funding to expand seniors' access to the most innovative technologies 
and treatments so that we can diagnose and treat diseases as early as 
possible.
  Last year, the House passed the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan 
legislation I cosponsored in Congress to improve and modernize our 
Nation's health care. This legislation would accelerate the process for 
scientific advancement while providing desperately needed research 
funding so that we can provide the next generation of cures. It is our 
duty as Americans to always protect and improve the quality of life and 
care for our Nation's seniors.
  If anyone in the First Congressional District of New York ever needs 
assistance or has questions about Social Security and Medicare or a 
Federal issue in general, I encourage you to contact my Long Island 
office at area code (631) 289-1097.

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