Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008--Veto

Floor Speech

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

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, 43 years ago, we created Medicare because this country recognized that no American should go without health care, especially once they reach retirement age.

As President Johnson was signing the Medicare bill into law, he praised Congress for its ability to ``see beyond words to the people that they touch,'' to put politics aside, and to create legislation that truly transforms society.

Well, today President Bush failed to heed those words, to see beyond politics and think of the seniors who have spent their lives paying into the Medicare system, and the doctors who treat them. Instead, he told millions of struggling American seniors, and military families as well, that he simply did not care. He vetoed a bill that would make vital improvements to the program that has helped ensure that millions of seniors and the disabled can get the care they need.

One of the most important provisions of that bill would have postponed a 10.6-percent reimbursement payment cut for doctors. That was a cut that would have forced many of our doctors across this country to stop seeing Medicare patients and would severely limit their access to health care. I believe the President was wrong to veto that bill.

Today, we can stand up for Medicare. We did it last week when we came together and voted for this bill by a veto-proof margin, and I believe we can do it today by overriding that veto. So I hope we can come together on the floor of the Senate today and override the President's veto and make sure that 44.1 million seniors who are enrolled in Medicare, as well as all the military families who rely on TRICARE, will continue to have access to health care.

We have spent a lot of time in the Senate debating this. My colleagues have thoroughly explained the improvements this legislation would make, but I wish to speak for a few minutes this evening on some of the provisions that illustrate why it is so important to take this vote tonight and override the veto.

First of all, many of our rural communities in Washington State and across the country are struggling today to provide health care services. This bill will help them strengthen their health care networks and extend the services that are available.

Importantly, this bill puts an emphasis on preventive care that will help our seniors stay healthy, and it will help to keep costs down by enabling those patients to get care before they get seriously ill. This bill will improve coverage for low-income seniors who need expert help to afford basic care. It will help make sure our seniors get mental health care. Currently, the copays for mental health care are 30 percent higher than those for physical care. The legislation we are about to vote on and override the President's veto, if it is passed, will treat mental and physical health care the same. Also, importantly, as we have talked about, this bill will block the cut in reimbursements for providing Medicare services. It will block that cut and ensure that doctors can afford, again, to take Medicare patients.

All the improvements I talked about are important, but it is critical we take action as soon as possible to ensure that the cut in payments to doctors does not go into effect. No doctor should have to choose between staying in business and taking care of their patients, but if we don't override this veto, that is exactly what will happen; our seniors and disabled will end up paying the price.

Cuts in payments would mean seniors will face longer drives in order to find doctors, they will see closed doors, and they will see fewer choices, even though they have spent their lives paying into this Medicare system. Out in our rural communities, the problem, I know, would be even worse because out there we already face a shortage of doctors and nurses and health care providers.

Finally, this cut would limit access to health care for our military retirees and our service members at a time when we see many of our troops returning home from war. TRICARE uses the Medicare formula to pay their doctors, too, and doctors have said those lower reimbursements would force them to drop TRICARE patients. I think we can all agree this country cannot afford to jeopardize the health care for our service members, especially during a time of war.

So this country took a huge step forward when we created Medicare back in 1965--when we agreed as a nation that all seniors should have access to health care services. We cannot afford, at this critical time, to let our country take a step backward. We have the opportunity this evening to do the right thing. Let's support our seniors, let's support our military families, let's stand together and override the President's veto and keep our commitment to the people who depend on us.

I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time reserved for the majority leader be reduced to 3 minutes and that the remainder be returned to the time under control by the majority.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. DURBIN. I ask that Senator Stabenow be recognized for 2 minutes.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, we have a historic opportunity in a few moments to reaffirm the fact that Medicare is a great American success story and to join with our colleagues from the House--383 Members of the House--who voted to override a Presidential veto and squarely side with our seniors, our military families and our veterans and to side with those in the disability community who use Medicare. We have an opportunity to vote to strengthen Medicare, to add mental health services, prevention, to focus on low-income seniors, to modernize Medicare with e-prescribing and telehealth. This is an opportunity to move Medicare into the future.

I am very proud to have offered the original bill to extend or block the cuts for 18 months into the future that were to be given to our physicians. I am proud of the work of the Finance Committee. I wish to thank Senator Max Baucus for his leadership and our leader, Senator Reid, for coming to the floor and bringing this back, over and over, until we got it done.

This is an opportunity for us to join together on a bipartisan basis to do the right thing, to overturn a very misplaced veto, and to say to all the seniors, our military families, and the disabled in this country that we understand what Medicare is all about and we stand with you to strengthen it, to add to the services available, and to modernize it for the future.

I urge a strong bipartisan vote to override this President's veto.

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