Issue Position: Medicare

Issue Position

Medicare was created in 1965 to provide medical care to Americans age 65 and older. As Americans live longer, the number of Medicare beneficiaries and the total cost of the program has skyrocketed to the point that the federal government must address its long-standing fiscal problems.

There is no magic bullet to fix Medicare. Comprehensive reform is needed to ensure affordable and open access to services for seniors - not just today's seniors, but tomorrow's seniors as well. We can no longer ignore fraud and waste in the system, but we must make sure senior citizens are not lost in the solution.

To date, price controls have not been the answer. Reforms have centered on reducing payment rates to doctors and hospitals, but payment rates are already well below market prices. This amounts to rationing health care, which may reduce costs but will not advance better care or encourage more rational decisions. Shortages are appearing in patient treatment, not only in the services provided but also in the number and type of health care professionals who have continued to provide them.

Let there be no mistake about it: Fixing Medicare could go a long way to helping all Americans who face the health insurance crisis. Getting Medicare right for the elderly will likely improve health care for everyone.

We should explore a payment system that emphasizes health management and a team approach involving doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals who work with patients. It is time to bring health care professionals into the picture to design a Medicare program that takes care of patients in the most efficient and cost-effective way. It must be a plan that is fair to doctors and other health care providers. And it must be financially sustainable.

While we need to put every option on the table as we try to improve Medicare and America's entire healthcare system, I will not support a solution that would jeopardize today's seniors and near-seniors who rely on Medicare for their care.

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