"I am deeply disappointed that this seriously flawed bill was pushed through the House of Representatives," Payne said. "My vote against this Medicare privatization bill was a vote for lower drug prices, a vote for preserving the Medicare program and a vote to ensure that millions of retirees keep their health care."
The bill, which is scheduled to take effect in 2006, prohibits Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices. In addition, 2.7 million seniors will lose their retiree prescription drug coverage; up to 6.4 million of the poorest Medicare beneficiaries will get less drug coverage than they have now; and millions of seniors will see their Medicare premiums rise if they refuse to give up their doctor and join an HMO.
The Republican prescription drug plan fails millions of America's seniors. Even though the bill requires seniors to pay premiums year-round, its $2,850 gap in coverage hurts the middle class and leaves many seniors without coverage for part of the year. It will add to the number of uninsured by spending $6.7 billion on ineffective health savings accounts for the wealthy, while six million low-income seniors who get additional assistance from Medicaid will pay more for their prescriptions.
"With the passage of this bill, the Republican leadership has turned its back on the more than 40 million seniors who have known and trusted Medicare for nearly 40 years," Payne said. "I hope that we will have a chance to revisit this issue so that we can enact a truly meaningful prescription drug benefit."
