Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Veto

Floor Speech

MEDICARE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS ACT OF 2008--VETO -- (Senate - July 15, 2008)

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we have an opportunity once every decade--maybe once every generation--to reaffirm our commitment to some of the most fundamental values in this country. The Medicare Program is not just another Government program. The Medicare Program said in the early 1960s that the United States was committed to our senior citizens and that commitment involved making certain they would always have access to affordable, quality health care. There were many at the time who were skeptical and said it was too much Government and socialism; it goes too far. Thank goodness their voices were drowned out by reason, the understanding that without this protection, seniors could lose every penny they had saved to a medical crisis.

Medicare passed and it worked. The proof of its success is the fact that senior citizens now live longer than ever because of the quality of the health care they have available through Medicare. Skeptics have returned and said: Let's get rid of that system; what we ought to do is bring in private health insurance companies. They call it Medicare Advantage. We let them try. Over the last 10 years or so they have tried, and at considerably more expense they are not offering benefits as good as basic Medicare.

This bill we are going to consider overriding the President's veto on very shortly says some of the money they have taken out of the system and out of the program has to be returned to taxpayers. That is fair. It is fair compensation for doctors, to make certain Medicare is there for the seniors who need it; to make certain TRICARE is kept up to date in reimbursement, but most importantly this vote today on overriding President Bush's ill-fated veto is a reaffirmation of how important Medicare is to America's future.

It was a strong bipartisan vote of 69 who voted a week or so ago in favor of this measure. I hope the vote today in the Senate reflects an even stronger bipartisan commitment to the future of Medicare.

I yield the floor.

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