U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy : 18th District Of Pennsylvania

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Seniors

Congressman Murphy has been a consistent supporter of seniors’ issues. From Social Security to Medicare, his commitment to improving seniors’ quality of life has been unwavering both in the Pennsylvania Senate and now in the United States Congress.

All Americans are affected by the growing costs of healthcare, particularly the costs of prescription drugs. With an average cost per prescription reaching $65.29, the most affected have been seniors, who must struggle to pay for expensive medications on a fixed income.

In November 2004, Congress passed H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. This legislation, which was widely support by senior organizations across the country, including the AARP, the Seniors Coalition and the 60 Plus Association, will provide significant savings on drug costs – in some cases, up to 20 percent.

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. The 60 Plus Association stated that “this bill makes available much needed assistance to millions of seniors who lack any prescription drug coverage.”

This bill ensures that seniors in the 18th Congressional District of Pennsylvania are given every opportunity to live out their lives without worrying about receiving quality health care.

Because the new federal prescription drug program will also cover low-income seniors currently covered by Pennsylvania’s PACE (Prescription Assistance Contract for Seniors) program, it is estimated that Pennsylvania will save hundreds of millions of dollars per year. These savings can be passed along to all seniors by reducing their out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.

As a former Chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate Committee on Aging and Youth, Congressman Murphy used his experience and first-hand knowledge to ensure that H.R. 1 included provisions that will ensure the continuation of PACE. When Congress first drafted the legislation, the federal plan did not coordinate with state plans. Congressman Murphy worked hard to include language that ensures PACE will supplement and enhance the new Medicare prescription drug plan.

Congressman Murphy is currently working with the state of Pennsylvania to help with coordination of the Medicare and PACE program.

Basic Summary of H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003

• Prescription Drug Discount Card
• Enhanced Fee-for Service and Medicare Advantage Programs
• Competition for Administration Duties to Keep Costs Down
• Combating Waste, Fraud and Abuse
• Improving Access to Rural Health care
• Covering Early Detection Screenings for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Breast Cancer