Posted by
Rich on Monday, February 04, 2008 3:15:04 PM
Congressman calls for Bipartisan Medicare Reform
Washington,
D.C. – Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL 13) issued the following
statement today opposing President Bush’s proposal to cut $178 billion
from Medicare. The fiscal year 2009 budget unveiled today by the
President would freeze payments to hospitals and other health care
providers.
“I
strongly support the administration’s goal to balance the budget
without raising taxes,” said Buchanan. “But it’s not fair to put the
burden on our seniors who rely on Medicare for their health care
coverage. The way to balance the budget is to promote economic growth
and eliminate wasteful spending.
“My
district is home to 176,721 seniors age 65 and over,” said the 13th
District Congressman. “We already have a shortage of health care
providers who are willing to serve elderly patients who depend on
Medicare for their health care coverage. Freezing reimbursement rates
will make the problem worse.
“What
we need is meaningful reform to meet the needs of seniors today and in
the future,” added Buchanan. “Each year we fail to address the issue,
the worse the problem becomes and the more difficult the solutions will
be. I look forward to working toward a bipartisan solution.”
Buchanan
has introduced legislation to amend the constitution to require a
balanced budget and cosponsored legislation to make permanent tax cuts
for working families.