Sessions Backs Medicare Bill

U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) today voted in favor of passage of the conference report on H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003. The bipartisan Medicare bill, which passed by a vote of 220-215, will help today’s seniors and future generations of seniors by making common-sense reforms to the faltering Medicare system. H.R. 1 represents the first significant reform to the Medicare program since its creation in 1965. It moves away from the failing bureaucratic model that, if left unchanged, will require 24 percent of federal income taxes by 2030. The modern pharmaceuticals available today were not available when Medicare began, but today they are opening doors to preventive care. The goal of the legislation is to make prevention a key component of health care in our nation. Among its most important provisions, H.R. 1 creates Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs will be available to all Americans and will allow them to save money for health care costs, earn tax-free interest, and make tax-free disbursements from the accounts. HSA funds can be used to cover qualified medical expenses such as insurance premiums and deductibles, prescription drugs, and long-term care. HSAs are also portable - they belong to the individual, not to employers. “HSAs are just one of the ways in which this bill increases the health care options available to the nation’s seniors,” said Sessions. “Seniors deserve to have the same control over their health care options as all Americans. With this bill, they will have the opportunity to pick the health care coverage that is right for them. “However, it is essential that seniors understand that no one will be forced to leave Medicare. Their choice in health care coverage is entirely up to them. That’s precisely what this bill is about: choice,” said Sessions. The Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act will also assist the nation’s seniors by providing a voluntary prescription drug benefit. The guaranteed voluntary prescription drug benefit will begin in 2006, and the level of the benefit will be based on income. In the meantime, a prescription drug discount card offering from 15-25 percent savings on prescriptions will be available as soon as Spring 2004. The voluntary prescription drug benefit in H.R. 1 is designed to assist seniors in paying for medications, particularly new pharmaceuticals that can treat disease early. The goal of this provision is to avoid more difficult and costly treatments that may be required as conditions advance. Sessions stated, “Everyone saves when preventive care allows a patient to avoid the costly hospital stays or procedures that could be required if that patient waits until their condition becomes severe before seeking treatment. “In addition, the tiered set-up of the prescription drug benefit ensures that the seniors who need the most help will get the most help.” Sessions continued, “Throughout my tenure as a Member of Congress, I have worked toward the goal of making the health care system on which our nation’s seniors depend more efficient and cost-effective. That means ensuring that all seniors have prescription drug coverage, continued employer coverage for those seniors already enrolled in private plans, and the opportunity to control their healthcare dollars through Health Savings Accounts. “Fourteen percent of U.S. GDP currently goes toward health expenditures. In addition to that expenditure, if left in its current state, Medicare will require 24 percent of federal income taxes by 2030 to keep running. If we don’t do something now, within twenty years we will face a terrible choice between either increasing taxes or cutting funding to other government programs in order to fund Medicare. “I am proud to have been a part of crafting a Medicare bill that addresses the shortcomings of the system. By focusing on staving off or treating illness at an earlier stage, not only can we greatly improve the quality of seniors’ lives, but we can also reduce Medicare costs in the long run. This is bill is a win on both fronts.”