I would like to thank the Chairman for holding this hearing today, which I hope will be a constructive conversation about how we can improve and strengthen Medicare.
And I would like to thank our witness, Dr. Miller, for coming in today. The work that MedPAC does makes an invaluable contribution the legislative process. We may not always agree with the Commission’s recommendations, but we can trust that MedPAC’s reports are based on facts, data and thoughtful analysis.
Today’s hearing is an excellent opportunity for this Committee to carefully examine a number of issues that affect the future of the Medicare program. At the heart of this conversation must be the most important concern - making sure that beneficiaries continue to have access to affordable, high quality care.
Any proposals that we discuss and any changes that we make have to - above all else - be in the best interest of beneficiaries.
Medicare is a key component of the social safety net in this country. It provides core health benefits to 54 million seniors and people with disabilities. I hope this Committee will join me in looking for ways to strengthen - not cut - the program to ensure that it remains strong for years to come.
If we are looking to achieve savings, the first place that we should look is making sure that payments are appropriate and accurate.
We should proceed with caution before radically cutting payments at the expense of hospitals that serve our most vulnerable citizens and the teaching hospitals that train the physician workforce.
As we discuss potential policy ideas today, it’s important to remember that many are not formal recommendations by MedPAC. They are thought provoking ideas that provide us with a starting point for discussion. It is the role of this Committee to carefully consider these ideas and to ask tough questions about what they mean for Medicare and for beneficiaries.
I am hopeful that this hearing will also serve as an opportunity for us to highlight a transformation that is radically reshaping the healthcare system and the practice of medicine.
Across the country, we are seeing a rapid and dramatic trend of hospitals merging together into massive health systems that exert tremendous market power.
We are also witnessing hospitals purchasing small physician practices. As a consequence, more and more physicians are now hospital employees - something that was almost unthinkable when I was in medical school.
This trend raises a number of questions about the future of the medical profession, healthcare spending, and patient care. As policymakers, our role is to ask these questions.
This Committee needs to hold a hearing on this issue and other topics relating to healthcare consolidation. This is not a partisan subject, and I believe that we can work together to ask these questions and find out how to address this issue moving forward.
I hope that this morning will be the beginning of a constructive conversation in the coming months.
I yield back.
