June 13, 2002
The Democratic Medicare Drug Benefit and Discount Act, unveiled today, provides a comprehensive benefit that is affordable and dependable for all beneficiaries with no gaps in coverage. The Democratic plan contained most provisions of the Congressional Caucus MEDS plans, such as: a $25 monthly premium; a $100 yearly deductible; 80/20 cost sharing between Medicare and beneficiary; and a $2000 maximum amount Medicare beneficiaries will pay for prescription drugs annually before the government pays the rest of the cost.
"It's about time for Congress to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. Access to affordable prescription drugs become a matter of life and death," said Lee. "I urge the Republican leadership to do the right thing. Our seniors should not have to choose between buying groceries or taking the medication their doctors prescribe. We need to provide our seniors and people with disabilities with a real prescription drug benefit. They deserve better."
The Republican prescription drug bill covers less than 25% of Medicare beneficiaries, has no defined benefit, has no guaranteed premium, has no guaranteed access, and allows private plans to vary price, benefit design and availability of drug coverage in different parts of the country.
"In the Ninth Congressional District of California, seniors pay on average 134% more for prescription drugs than the drug companies' most favored customers - the insurance companies, large hospitals and HMOs," said Lee. "Frankly, it is absurd to be spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on a plan in which consumers still pay more than an American citizen would pay by traveling over the Canadian or Mexican border. Often times, senior citizens and people with disabilities must choose between buying food or medicine. The GOP plan is down right insulting."
While offering her support to the Democratic plan, Congresswoman Lee expressed her belief that the cost containment component of the plan should be strengthened. She also expressed her concern that other provisions of the Progressive Caucus MEDS plan were not contained in the bill, such as requiring drug companies to offer medicine developed from federally funded research at a reasonable price; requiring that the rate of increase in prices that Medicare pays for drugs does not exceed the Social Security Cost Of Living Adjustment; linking the discount in his bill to the average cost in the G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom; and allowing the re-importation of prescription from countries that offer reduced prices such as Canada.
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces Support for Democratic Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Vice President of the Progressive Caucus, today announced her support for the Democratic Medicare Drug Benefit and Discount Act which includes many provisions of the Progressive Caucus MEDS Plan.The Democratic Medicare Drug Benefit and Discount Act, unveiled today, provides a comprehensive benefit that is affordable and dependable for all beneficiaries with no gaps in coverage. The Democratic plan contained most provisions of the Congressional Caucus MEDS plans, such as: a $25 monthly premium; a $100 yearly deductible; 80/20 cost sharing between Medicare and beneficiary; and a $2000 maximum amount Medicare beneficiaries will pay for prescription drugs annually before the government pays the rest of the cost.
"It's about time for Congress to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. Access to affordable prescription drugs become a matter of life and death," said Lee. "I urge the Republican leadership to do the right thing. Our seniors should not have to choose between buying groceries or taking the medication their doctors prescribe. We need to provide our seniors and people with disabilities with a real prescription drug benefit. They deserve better."
The Republican prescription drug bill covers less than 25% of Medicare beneficiaries, has no defined benefit, has no guaranteed premium, has no guaranteed access, and allows private plans to vary price, benefit design and availability of drug coverage in different parts of the country.
"In the Ninth Congressional District of California, seniors pay on average 134% more for prescription drugs than the drug companies' most favored customers - the insurance companies, large hospitals and HMOs," said Lee. "Frankly, it is absurd to be spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on a plan in which consumers still pay more than an American citizen would pay by traveling over the Canadian or Mexican border. Often times, senior citizens and people with disabilities must choose between buying food or medicine. The GOP plan is down right insulting."
While offering her support to the Democratic plan, Congresswoman Lee expressed her belief that the cost containment component of the plan should be strengthened. She also expressed her concern that other provisions of the Progressive Caucus MEDS plan were not contained in the bill, such as requiring drug companies to offer medicine developed from federally funded research at a reasonable price; requiring that the rate of increase in prices that Medicare pays for drugs does not exceed the Social Security Cost Of Living Adjustment; linking the discount in his bill to the average cost in the G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom; and allowing the re-importation of prescription from countries that offer reduced prices such as Canada.
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