[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SOCIAL SECURITY GUARANTEE INITIATIVE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 1999

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as we debate our respective 
positions on Social Security, let us be mindful of a critical issue 
facing senior citizens--the prohibitively high cost of prescription 
drugs. Medicare is the main source of health care for the elderly, yet 
it does not cover the cost of most prescription drugs.
  Many senior citizens live on a limited, fixed income. The cost of 
prescription drugs is an important issue because senior citizens are 
more likely to suffer from chronic long-term illnesses, such as 
diabetes, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer's disease which require 
medication.
  Although prescription drugs are covered by most private insurance, 
thirty-seven percent of senior citizens do not have their own 
prescription drug coverage. The average senior citizen takes several 
medications a day (up to 30 prescriptions a year) and many of them pay 
for their own medications out of pocket.
  Senior citizens who cannot afford their medication may not fill them 
or may not take the proper dosages which can endanger their lives. 
Seniors who do not take their medication risk living in pain, being 
hospitalized, or even death.
  The cost of prescription drugs directly affects the health and 
welfare of the elderly. We cannot force our senior citizens to make a 
choice between buying food and buying their medication. This should not 
be choice between life and death. We must offer plans to reform the 
Medicare program that protect the interests of our seniors.

                          ____________________