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| This week in Congress, the House Republican Leadership
unveiled their plan to include a so-called prescription drug benefit in
Medicare, and I have to say, I am disappointed in what they have presented.
As a conservative Democrat, I have crossed over the aisle to vote with
Republicans on many issues. But when it comes to truly modernizing
Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit for seniors, the Republican
plan is dead wrong.
Last week, I joined House Democrats in introducing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit and Discount Act. I am a lead sponsor of that plan because I truly believe it is the answer to the problems our seniors face in struggling to pay for their medicine and improve or maintain their health. As a small town family pharmacy owner, I have seen this problem first hand, and have worked hard in Congress to correct it. When it comes to this issue, House Republicans seem to be working to protect the big drug companies that help to keep them in office. The Republican bill will not guarantee that seniors will have affordable drug coverage. Instead, seniors must obtain coverage through private insurers, who may not participate and can offer vastly different benefits and premiums. The Republican bill will cover less than a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries’ estimated drug costs over the next ten years, and under their plan, seniors will only be covered for medicines and pharmacies that have been placed on their private insurer’s formulary. On the other hand, the Democrats’ plan is a plan for seniors. Under this “seniors plan,” Medicare will not force seniors into HMO’s or private insurance. Rather, Medicare will cover the cost of prescription drugs just as it covers a visit to the doctor or a hospital. Our bill specifies that for a $25 monthy premium and a $100 deductible, Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost of seniors’ prescription medication. For low-income seniors, coverge will be even more generous. Our plan will lower the cost of drugs for all seniors and ensure that seniors can get the drug their doctor prescribes at the pharmacy of their choice. Debates over this issue will grow more intense over the next few weeks as these plans progress through Congress, and I have challenged my colleagues in the House of Representatives to do the right thing. I have encouraged them to go back to their districts and speak with seniors about the details of these plans, to put party politics aside, and to fix this problem once and for all by uniting behind the plan that works – the “seniors plan.” |
