September 22, 2006, is the day the so-called “doughnut hole” was expected to affect the bulk of our seniors enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.  This hole, or point when a beneficiary will experience a gap in coverage, occurs when a senior surpasses $2,250 of received coverage on approved prescription drugs. At that point, the senior is required to pay 100 percent of the drug charges while continuing to pay monthly premiums.  Once $5,100 is reached the “doughnut hole” closes and seniors return to paying just the co-pay.

I have introduced the Medicare Doughnut Hole Elimination Act of 2006, which would help our seniors get through the doughnut hole faster and help them save money.  My legislation would accurately account for a beneficiary’s out of pocket drug expenses during the deductible and the doughnut hole, not just the prescription drugs recognized by the individual insurance plan.

Fixing the “doughnut hole” is critical for Arkansas seniors because of the 40 Medicare plans available, all but one of them included a “doughnut hole.” This means that 92 percent of Arkansas seniors could be affected by the doughnut hole and be forced to pay 100 percent of the prescription drug fees out of their own pockets once they hit this gap in coverage.

I have had the opportunity to talk to numerous seniors who are struggling to pay for their prescription medications. I did not support the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan which contains this “doughnut hole” because I think we can do better for America’s seniors. Beneficiaries deserve access to medications as promised and I remain committed to improving this flawed law.

“The people of the Fourth Congressional District in Arkansas did not send me to Washington to engage in partisan politics,” Ross said. “I was sent up here to help people in their time of need and it is imperative that the Republican Majority do right by our farmers and ranchers who need assistance after suffering for the past two years from damaged crops, lost livestock and increased costs of doing business compounded by high energy prices.”

Ross was joined on a telephone conference call today from Washington by fellow agriculture state legislators: ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (MN), Rep. Marion Berry (AR), Rep. John Barrow (GA) and Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC). The group released a discharge petition that would force immediate action on H.R. 5099, agriculture disaster assistance. The petition garnered 42 signatures in less than a day after it was filed and requires 218 signatures in order for action to be taken.

“Allowing our farm families the ability to provide our nation a safe and reliable source of food and fiber is every bit as important to our national security as oil is,” Ross said. “We’ve become way too dependent on foreign oil and America must not become dependent on other countries for our food supply.”

Ross went on to discuss how natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and other factors like soybean rust have had a profound negative economic impact on rural America.  Ross said that such factors not only impact farmers, but that they also impact local bankers, equipment dealers, grocery stores, and other businesses.

This year alone, more than 71 percent of U.S. counties have been declared primary or contiguous disaster area by the United States Department of Agriculture. Last year, the number of counties named disaster areas was 78 percent.

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Members of the delegation said that the Public Alert Radios operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, sounding an alarm that will alert school personnel to severe weather conditions and other emergencies, even when other means of communication are disabled. These radios enable the effective delivery of information for a wide range of crises, whether it’s an approaching tornado, a telephone outage disrupting 9-1-1 services, local roads overrun by flash floods, or the urgent need to be on the lookout for an abducted child. Radio distribution will begin this week and every school will have one by the end of October.

“Providing our children with a safe learning environment should be our number one priority,” Congressman Ross said.  “These radios are a critical communications tool to keep our children out of harm’s way in times of emergency or when a disaster or tragedy may strike.”

“Communication is key during an emergency. When every second counts, these radios will offer a reliable and immediate way to reach administrators, teachers and students across Arkansas,” Senator Pryor said.

“It’s important that the federal government continue its work to ensure that our schools can provide a safe environment for students and teachers," Senator Lincoln said. "These radios will better equip every public school in Arkansas to react quickly and effectively if faced with an emergency."

“Arkansas has a long history of severe weather capable of destroying homes, businesses, and in some cases entire communities,” said Congressman Berry. “We have a responsibility to make sure our schools have the best public safety equipment to prepare for these emergency situations. Public alert radios will improve communication during critical moments so our teachers and administrators can keep children safe.”

“Better communication equipment in schools in the event of severe weather or emergencies is a great idea, and hopefully will make school personnel, students and their parents better prepared in such an event,” said Congressman Snyder. 

“The severe weather we witnessed last week in Arkansas is a testament to the need of Public Alert Radios,” Congressman Boozman said. “I am proud to help bring this life-saving technology to Arkansas’ schools so we can protect our most precious resource: our children.”

This project is a joint venture between the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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