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555 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Ph: 202.224.6342
Fax: 202.224.1100
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Raleigh Office:
310 New Bern Avenue
Suite 122
Raleigh, NC 27601
Ph: 919.856.4630
Toll Free: 866.420.6083
Fax: 919.856.4053
Salisbury Office:
225 North Main Street
Suite 304
Salisbury, NC 28144
Ph: 704.633.5011
Toll Free: 866.420.6084
Fax: 704.633.2937
Western Office:
401 North Main Street
Suite 200
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Ph: 828.698.3747
Fax: 828.698.1267
Eastern Office:
306 South Evans Street
Greenville, NC 27835
Ph: 252.329.1093
Fax: 252.329.1097
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Floor Statements
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MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT
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June 18th, 2003 - Mr. President, I rise in favor of the need for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. We live in different times than we did 38 years ago when the Medicare program was created. At that time, most people were treated in hospitals . . . many illnesses were untreatable and the average life span was much shorter than it is today. But we’ve made great strides since then . . . Today, people are living longer, better and healthier lives. My own Mother turned 102 years old last month– something perhaps she never even imagined! But new medical technologies and advanced drugs have made it possible for many of our elderly to live productive lives for many, many years.
Unfortunately, the high costs of these life-sustaining medications are preventing many of our seniors from reaping the benefits of these advancements.
The elderly in my state of North Carolina have been hit particularly hard. The state’s Division of Aging estimates that half of North Carolina’s residents age 65 and older have no prescription drug coverage. And as I’ve traveled our 100 counties, I’ve heard their stories. They’re cutting their pills in half to make them last longer, a dangerous practice that can lead to unanticipated drug reactions . . . They’re sacrificing groceries so that they have money to buy the drugs they need . . . and even worse, Mr. President, far too many of them are simply going without needed drugs.
Many of North Carolina’s seniors have even been forced back into the workplace from retirement . . . often with an ailing condition . . . just to earn some income to off-set the cost of prescription drugs.
I talked last night to a woman in Clayton, North Carolina named Kathy Roberts. She retired after 13 years of working at Wal-Mart, with dreams of spending time with her grandchildren. But a heart condition ran up medical costs . . . Kathy had soon lost $29,000 in savings! She recently returned to her job at Wal-Mart for the extra money. But because she’s only working part-time in order to keep her $700 a month Social Security check, she’s ineligible for the health insurance benefits that Wal-Mart gives to its full-time employees. And her prescription drugs cost $170 each month!
In Mecklenburg County, officials recently completed a report on the status of senior citizens there. The study found that 45 percent of older adults said the high-cost of prescription drugs made them decide not to take a medicine as frequently as prescribed. Forty percent had not purchased a prescription because of cost. And more than 15 percent said they had put off paying for food, rent or utilities to buy medicine.
This is simply not right, Mr. President! Our elderly deserve better treatment! This government made a promise to our senior citizens when the Medicare program was created. And we should keep our promise.
This year, we have our best chance yet to get a prescription drug benefit signed into law. It’s an opportunity we cannot allow to slip away.
I have been reviewing the prescription drug plan passed by the Finance Committee, as well as proposals put forth by other senators. The Finance Committee commits $400 billion over the next 10 years for a benefit . . . and, it’s a voluntary program – something I have long advocated.
But I have concerns, Mr. President.
While the legislation adds a drug benefit to Medicare – it does not make sufficient changes to strengthen and improve an outdated program. None of us wants to add a benefit that is simply going to send Medicare’s bill through the roof as soon as the Baby Boomers retire. Just three months ago, government trustees reported that Medicare was four years closer to insolvency than expected – it’s projected to start paying out more money than it brings in, in the year 2013. With Medicare so close to the brink of insolvency, shouldn’t we look closely at ways to improve this aging program? This bill provides a prescription drug initiative – an enormous change – but in terms of improving and strengthening Medicare, it simply does not go far enough! For instance, the bill does not do enough to eliminate the mountains of paperwork and red tape that discourage doctors from participating in Medicare . . . 100,000 pages of regulations according to the Mayo Clinic. Where is the regulatory reform that Medicare so desperately needs?
There is also a need to provide for more disclosure among our pharmacy benefit managers and plans. The Senate should consider amendments like that offered by Senators Enzi and Reed that would promote greater transparency and require plans to disclose how much of the rebates from drug manufacturers are being passed on to consumers! We must seek to provide a prescription drug benefit that maintains fiscal responsibility too.
There are also concerns Mr. President, that this drug benefit will cause private insurers to drop coverage. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 37 percent of employers would be inclined to terminate prescription drug coverage for retirees. This would shift those retirees into the government-sponsored system and further drive up costs of the program. Our nation cannot afford that. The budget is already being stretched because of national security concerns . . . the Senate must ensure that this program stays within the cap of $400 billion over 10 years that we agreed to in the budget resolution!
I intend to spend the next several days listening to the debate, and further examining proposals. I hope we can find ways to address these issues so that we can pass a benefit for our seniors this year and not create a system that will balloon into a tremendous burden for future generations.
Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
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| Elizabeth Dole |
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