[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H4168-H4169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, on April 12, I led an hour of debate on 
the topic of prescription drug coverage for senior citizens. I read 
three letters from around the state from seniors who shared their 
personal stories. On the 12th, I made a commitment to continue to read 
a different letter every week until the House enacts reform. This week 
I will read a letter from Julia Kanopsky of Livonia Michigan.
  In conjunction with Mother's Day, the Older Women's League (OWL) 
published a report entitled, ``Prescription for Change: Why women need 
a Medicare Drug Benefit.'' The report describes the special problems 
older women face in obtaining prescriptions.
  More than one in three women on Medicare lack prescription drug 
coverage.
  In 1997, 2.6 million women on Medicare spent more than $1200 a year 
on their medications and another 2.4 million women spent between $612 
and $1200 a year on pharmaceuticals therapies.
  The high costs of prescription drugs are especially hard on older 
women, most of whom live on fixed incomes. More than half of women age 
65 and over have personal annual incomes of less than $10,000 a year 
and three out of four have incomes under $15,000.
  On average, women's overall out-of-pocket spending for prescription 
drugs is higher than

[[Page H4169]]

their male counterparts. In 1999, women on Medicare were projected to 
spend $430 a year on medications, compared to $380 for men.
  Women are expected to make up a greater share (58 percent) of 
beneficiaries with high ($500-$999) or very high ($1,000) annual out-
of-pocket drug costs in 1999.
  Women make up more than six in ten (61.4 percent) Medicare 
beneficiaries with hypertension and women with hypertension have higher 
overall out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs ($800) than men 
do ($694).
  OWL shares the disturbing fact that Medicare beneficiaries without 
drug coverage are less likely to receive drug therapies compared to 
those with coverage. In 1996, women without coverage used 24 percent 
fewer prescriptions than did women with coverage.
  I agree with the conclusions in the OWL report that these numbers cry 
out for the inclusion of a prescription drug benefit in Medicare.
  I will now read the letter from Julia Kanopsky:

       I was so thrilled to find your address I was allowed to 
     express myself on [the] high price of prescriptions. I am one 
     of the least fortunate ones who does not have any . . . 
     health care . . . [I have a] pension [and] when I pay for my 
     three prescriptions for heart and blood pressure, and 2 for 
     pain, pay for my Blue Cross, half of my check is used up and 
     every time you get a refill on prescription drugs, the price 
     differs. Blue Cross [also] goes up. I [have] talked to so 
     many seniors like myself and it has us worried to death. I 
     just wish the government would take an interest in different 
     problems like this, to curb like prices. I eat two meals a 
     day . . . any more hike in health cost, I'll have to go to 
     one meal. [I get] a little Social Security raise, and then . 
     . . property tax and utilities go up. I just can't win. Voice 
     your opinion, Debbie! Maybe someone will listen. Thank you, 
     Julia Kanopsky. P.S. I'm too old to get a job if I were 
     younger, maybe [I would]. I could pick up a job to at least 
     pay for prescriptions for Healthcare. I'm trying to maintain 
     my home and being independent, these prices are scaring me.

  The time is now to enact legislation that will reduce the price for 
prescription drugs for seniors and that will include a prescription 
drug benefit in the Medicare program.

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