[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 26, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE FOR SENIORS TOP PRIORITY

  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, I appreciate the opportunity to rise today 
and have an opportunity to speak about an issue that I have come to the 
floor very frequently to speak about for many, many months now.
  I am asking my colleagues to make sure that we place prescription 
drug coverage for seniors under Medicare as a top priority for us 
before we leave session this year. Time is running out.
  We have the best economy in a generation. We have budget surpluses 
that we are deciding how to use and how to invest. I cannot think of a 
more important issue than investing in the future health and well-being 
of older Americans and families all across the United States.
  I have been coming to the floor of the House on a regular basis to 
speak out and to share stories of constituents of mine, family members, 
older Americans who have been calling me and writing me.
  I set up a hotline back in August of last year and have set up 
something called the Prescription Drug Fairness Campaign, whereby I 
have been asking people to share with me their stories, what is really 
happening in their lives as it relates to the issue of their 
medications and the high costs of prescription drugs. I have been 
overwhelmed with the letters and the phone calls that we have received.
  I want one more time to be reading a letter this evening on the floor 
of this House from one of my constituents in Michigan. This is a letter 
from Mr. James Schlieger from Flint, Michigan. He writes to me: ``My 
wife Joan has Alzheimer's Disease. In 1999, my out-of-pocket payment 
for preparations was $3,020.43. Our other medical expenses were 
$3,909.79. Our Social Security income is $20,252. This leaves us little 
over $13,000 to pay our property taxes, utility bills, food, and 
gasoline and all of our other expenses. Bottom line, there is nothing 
left to enjoy the Golden Years. With my wife's condition, in a few 
years, we will have depleted our savings, then we will have to become 
dependent on government care. Please help us. James Schlieger from 
Flint, Michigan.''
  I think we need to help Mr. Schlieger. We need to make sure that our 
seniors are not using all of their savings to pay for the cost of the 
health care that they are supposed to be receiving under Medicare.
  This Sunday is the 35th anniversary of the day that the Medicare 
legislation was signed. At the time it was set up, it covered the way 
health care was provided. The promise was there that, once an American 
reached the age of 65 or was disabled, they knew that there would be 
health care available to them.
  The difficulties that we have now is that health care has changed. 
The way we treat people has changed. Instead of it being in the 
hospital and with operations and inpatient prescription drugs, we are 
now in a situation where the majority of care is outpatient, is home 
health care. It almost always involves prescription drugs. So Medicare 
simply needs to be modernized to cover the way health care is provided 
today.
  There are others who are talking about privatizing. There are others 
talking about other kinds of approaches. I would urge my colleagues to 
simply look at a system that the seniors of our country know and trust. 
It has worked. It just needs to be updated. If we cannot do that now 
with the best economy in a generation, with budget surpluses and the 
ability to take a small percentage and invest that back into Medicare 
to lower the cost of prescription drugs, I do not believe we ever will.
  So I call on my colleagues one more time. Let us not let one more 
senior sit down at breakfast in the morning and decide, do I eat today 
or do I pay for my medications? That is a choice that older Americans 
should not have to make.
  I am going to do everything in my power to fight on behalf of the 
seniors of Michigan, to make sure that we modernize Medicare for 
prescription drugs.

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