Warnings From The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, lately we have heard from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about the Pelosi health care reform measure. Their 31-page actuarial report, released over the weekend, reads that the bill would increase costs over the next 10 years by $289 billion.

This is not a partisan report. It comes from the people who run the Medicare and Medicaid systems in the country. They warn that the provisions of the bill could lead to doctors and hospitals turning away Medicare patients.

They warn that some 18 million Americans will choose to pay a much lower fine than buy expensive health insurance coverage, because when they get sick and truly need insurance, they can buy it, since they won't be turned down for preexisting conditions.

They warn that a crush of new patients would shock the system.

They warn that the plan to cut more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending would sharply reduce benefits for some seniors and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others.

CMS should not have to issue warnings about the impact of a major piece of legislation that promises to change our entire system of health care and make it worse.

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