[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 23, 2002, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, tonight we will hear from our President 
on the State of the Union. I look forward to hearing his remarks, 
especially because he is committed to spending $190 billion over the 
next decade to overhaul Medicare and provide prescription drug benefits 
to our elderly.
  This is an important first step but, Madam Speaker, we need more and 
we need it now. The average Medicare beneficiary fills 18 different 
prescriptions in 1 year alone, yet at least one in three people in the 
Medicare population have no drug coverage in the course of a year and 
spend on average 83 percent more for their medicines than those with 
drug coverage.
  In my own State of Rhode Island, seniors are choosing between food or 
health care on a daily basis. In July of last year, I commissioned a 
study to assess what my constituents are paying for prescription drugs. 
This study found that uninsured elderly pay on average 78 percent more 
for most prescription drugs than do seniors in foreign countries.
  What is most disturbing about these numbers is that almost half of 
all Medicare beneficiaries with no prescription drug coverage have 
incomes less than 175 percent of poverty, which was $15,000 in 2001.
  The lack of prescription drug coverage for our seniors is a national 
crisis. Medicare+Choice, Medigap coverage, discount card programs and 
other accounts to chip away at this problem are not the answer. We must 
provide comprehensive drug coverage under Medicare and we must do it 
now.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the President and my colleagues in both 
Chambers of Congress to work together to ensure that we pass this 
legislation this year.

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