Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Motion to Proceed
Floor Speech
MEDICARE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED -- (Senate - July 09, 2008)
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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this debate is about an important bill for 40 million Americans. It is about Medicare. It is about whether the doctors who provide benefits under Medicare will have a 10.3 percent cut in their reimbursement. Those of us who are for Medicare don't want to see that happen. It means fewer doctors treating senior citizens. It means fewer doctors who will be part of the program. So we are trying to stop this cut from happening. But we are running into resistance from the Republican side of the aisle.
The bill before us is a bipartisan bill that passed the House of Representatives by a margin of 6 to 1. Two-thirds of the Republicans in the House voted for this measure. It is a very bipartisan approach. But unfortunately, on the other side of the aisle, the Republicans are determined to oppose this bill.
Why? Why would they want to see fewer senior citizens with doctors they need under Medicare? Why would they want to see fewer doctors in the program? Because the way we pay for the doctors' compensation is by cutting back on the private health insurance companies currently trying to offer Medicare benefits. Now, why would we do that? Because, unfortunately, they are overcharging the Government--from 12 to 17 percent more than what the Medicare Program is charging for the same services. We believe they can cut back on their profits, they can reduce their costs, and they can still help seniors.
Remember when we started with private health insurance companies? The Republicans said: We want them to be able to play in Medicare. They can do a much better job than the Government. They will cut the costs dramatically. They will bring it down to 95 percent of what the Government charges. Exactly the opposite has occurred. The private health insurance companies have increased their costs over the years, and the Republicans who oppose this bill want to protect those companies. They do not want to see those private health insurance companies take a hit, get a reduction in the amount of money paid by the Government. So they continue to refuse to vote for this measure to help Medicare physicians.
The last time we had this vote, we had 59 Senators who voted for it. What do we need today at 4:05 to strengthen Medicare? We need one more Republican vote, one more Republican Senator. Madam President, 9 of the 49 voted with us last time. With 10, we have the 60 votes, and Medicare will have a bright future.
For those who argue, well, President Bush just might not like the bill, I am sorry, but this bipartisan bill which passed overwhelmingly in the House should pass overwhelmingly in the Senate, and we should say to President Bush: It is much more important for us to protect 40 million seniors under Medicare and, incidentally, about 9 million military families under TRICARE from these kinds of cuts in physician reimbursement.
I have listened to the debate on the other side of the aisle, and it really comes down to a difference of philosophy. When Medicare was created, the Republicans, by and large, opposed it: Oh, it is a big Government program. It is socialized medicine. What did Medicare do for America? It gave peace of mind to seniors that the next illness would not wipe out all their savings. It gave them access to the best doctors and the best hospitals.
Do you know what? Seniors are living longer today than when they signed that Medicare bill into law in 1965. That is the proof of its success. But many on the Republican side of the aisle have never accepted it. They always want to go to the private health insurance companies, even when it costs too much for the seniors and for our Government.
This is our chance. One more Republican vote means the Medicare Program will be strong for years to come.
I yield the floor.
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