Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Studio Segue
In studio host Hodding Carter segues to elderly protest of current Medicare payment freeze.
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Protest
Piles of mail bags outside of the Capital Building full of protest letters. A press conference with House Democrats outside Capitol. Cy Brickfield, Executive Director American Association of Retired Persons, "It's unfair because it reduces Social Security for the elderly by freezing it for one year and at the same time increasing the Medicare premiums that they must pay. It's unfair because it gives protection to the Pentagon against inflation, while denying that same protection against inflation to the elderly."
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Jim Wright
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas) speaks out against Medicare policy. "We don't think that it's fair, nor equitable, nor warranted to break our promise to the elderly citizens of our country."
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - House Ways and Means Committee
Meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee on new Medicare policy, Caucasian men and women fill the room. Representative Pete Stark (D - California), "I think you have the information and you're hiding it. Because I think you know the results and it s going to look bad for Stockman's budget when they come out. Ad to cheat the poor elderly people out of medical care, which is what I think your department is doing is a sin. It's a crime. It's an obscenity." Carolyne K. Davis, Ph.D, Healthcare Financing Administration, "I think I will have to respectfully take issue with you. I believe that we are doing the very best job that we can. And we are being cognizant of the needs of the elderly." People at the meeting listening.
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - American Hospital Association
Jack Owen, executive Vice President American Hospital Association explains adverse effects of new Medicare policy on treatment. "What this will do then is really in the long run have an effect on access for the elderly and have an effect on quality of care."
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Federation of American Hospitals
Michael Bromberg, Executive Director Federation of American Hospitals. "You can't just keep laying off workers without it having an effect on quality. When a patient rings the bell, how many minutes will it take for somebody to answer that call. Well if you have 100 thousand less workers every year, I assume that those minutes are going to add up."
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - John Heinz
Senator John Heinz (R - Pennsylvania) is interviewed by Hodding Carter outside the Capitol about Medicare. Senator John Heinz (R - Pennsylvania), "but worse, in many cases they are being pushed out into a no care zone where there isn't the skilled nursing care or the intermediate care or the home health care to keep them getting the kind of health care they ought to have." Hodding Carter, "What really in the Congressional remedy beyond what s already been tried?" Senator John Heinz (R - Pennsylvania), "Well as of this moment, there is no known Congressional remedy. A lot of ideas, a lot of studies."
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Federation of American Hospitals
Michael Bromberg, Executive Director Federation of American Hospitals, "It's very simple when you look at how the lifespan has increased over the last 20 years. (And how the over 85 population group is the fastest growing population group in America. That didn't happen because we cut money. It happened because we spent money. And now that we re in a budget crisis if we go too far the other way, we re going to stop that right in its tracks.)"
Capitol Journal - Elderly Rights/Medicare - Seniors
Elderly Caucasian men and women walking through shopping district, sitting at table playing cards.