Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this Member Day hearing on legislation to improve and sustain the Medicare Program. I welcome this opportunity to learn more about the ideas that our colleagues will discuss today.
When it comes to Medicare, the policies we make impact a wide range of interests - physicians, insurers, hospitals, and many others. But the most important people affected are Medicare’s beneficiaries - the 55 million seniors and Americans with disabilities who depend on Medicare for their health coverage.
At its core, Medicare is a fulfillment of a commitment to the health security of the American people. Individuals who have contributed to the system deserve the peace of mind of knowing that Medicare’s benefits will be there when they need them.
That means that Congress must work to ensure that Medicare truly strengthens the quality and accessibility of beneficiaries’ needed care.
A stronger Medicare doesn’t mean we turn the program over to the insurance industry, and it doesn’t mean we shift more costs onto beneficiaries.
A stronger Medicare is a program that provides comprehensive coverage to beneficiaries at affordable costs.
To make that a reality, we have to move the conversation in Congress away from harmful ideas - like privatizing the program and cutting seniors’ benefits - toward a more productive discussion of how to make Medicare work better for beneficiaries.
To that end, I intend to discuss legislation that I recently introduced - the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act - which will provide beneficiaries with access to comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing services.
This is a popular, long overdue reform that will improve the health security of millions of Americans. And I look forward to talking further about its importance during this hearing.
I also hope to hear from my colleagues about other ideas that will continue to build upon and expand Medicare. And I intend to carefully scrutinize ideas that may not be in the best interest of the program or its beneficiaries.
Today’s hearing is part of what must be an ongoing process of careful debate that will show the American people what their Congress is doing - or not doing - to improve their health security.
It must be followed by substantive legislative hearings, markups, and amendments so that we can weed out the bad ideas and make sure that today’s good ideas become reality.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to learning more about the legislation before us and to continuing this conversation in the future.
