By House Democratic Chair Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and Representative Mike McIntyre (D-NC)

When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law on July 30, 1965, he envisioned a “Great Society.”  Understanding that far too many American citizens faced enormous economic challenges with scarce financial resources, Johnson proposed a national health insurance program to bridge those gaps. Medicare and its companion Medicaid were designed to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society - the elderly and the poor - would have their basic health care needs met. Sadly, the steadily increasing cost of health care in this country has made that sacred mission even more difficult. Today’s senior citizens face tough challenges trying to pay for their health care, in particular their prescription drugs.

The Medicare prescription drug benefit signed into law by President Bush has not made that task any easier. To the contrary, during the first three weeks, hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries across America have been unable to access needed medication, have faced lengthy delays filling their prescriptions, and have been overcharged for their medicines. The plan is complicated and confusing, presenting our senior citizens with a barrage of choices and little help on how to decipher which choice is best for them. 

What is most troubling is that “dual eligible” citizens – those who receive both Medicare and Medicaid have not been appropriately identified to the private drug plans in which they were enrolled. Horror stories abound of low-income beneficiaries being denied the drugs they need and are entitled. They were repeatedly assured by Medicare officials they would be given extra help, so they would not have to pay any deductible. 

On January 1, the new Medicare prescription drug plan automatically enrolled 6.2 million dual eligible or low-income Americans into private plans. Many are now being told erroneously they must pay a $250 deductible, as well as high co-payments.   Prior to January 1, they had received prescription drug coverage through both Medicare and Medicaid.  Under the actual plan, however, the poor should pay no more than $3 for generic drugs and $5 for brand-name drugs.

As soon as the new drug program began on January 1, many states were overwhelmed by calls of distress from low-income Medicare beneficiaries unable to obtain their medications.  Within five days, four states acted to guarantee that their residents received their medications.  There are now a total of 26 states that have intervened as “prayer of last resort”, ensuring that the state will pay for prescriptions that should have been covered by the Medicare program.

Democrats are extremely concerned about the current situation across the country and have introduced emergency legislation to make certain beneficiaries have immediate access to medicines and pharmacies and states receive assistance for the costs they have incurred because of this poorly implemented drug program.  Democrats will continue our fight for a simpler law allowing beneficiaries to get coverage through Medicare, rather than through private insurance companies. Our plan improves access to medicines, and lower-out-of-pocket costs to seniors.  America’s seniors deserve better and Democrats believe that working together, America can do better.

Representative Jim Clyburn represents South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District.  He also serves in the House Democratic Leadership as Caucus Chair and as Chairman of House Democratic Leader Pelosi’s African American Working Group. Representative Mike McIntyre has represented North Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997.  He is now serving his 5th term.