Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)

• As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Conrad recognizes the burden and the cost of chronic disease and is working to prepare our country for the retirement of the Baby Boom generation.
• Senator Conrad has gained bipartisan respect as an expert on federal budget matters and is considered a leading Congressional “deficit hawk.”
• Senator Conrad has won acclaim for his effectiveness and budget acumen, earning the title of one of “America’s 10 Best Senators” from Time Magazine in April of 2006.
• Senator Conrad has worked to encourage medical research and provide better access to health care for our elderly throughout his 21 year career in Congress.
• Senator Conrad supported the Medicare Modernization Act, which is helping many seniors better afford needed medications.
• As a member of the bipartisan Mainstream Coalition on Health Care Reform, he worked on a plan that would have helped to hold down the rapidly growing costs of health care while still providing access to vital services.
• He has been successful in making changes to Medicare payment rules, which resulted in increased payments to hospitals and providers (including physicians, home health care agencies, and nursing homes) who serve aging patients in remote areas.
• By making the option of telemedicine readily available to patients, Senator Conrad has allowed patients access to cutting edge medical care without having to drive long distances to reach a clinic or specialist. In many instances this technology has helped prevent more serious or expensive procedures by providing an early diagnosis.