[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 72 (Wednesday, June 5, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H3166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PROVIDING A FAIR PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN FOR SENIORS

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, the Bush administration wants to give 
seniors a prescription drug card that may save you 15 percent on your 
prescription drugs. ``May save you.''
  Prescription drug charges are manipulated by the pharmaceutical 
companies. Take a look at this chart here in my district. When they 
bought their drugs with their card, they saved 12 cents. They 
advertised 30 to 40 percent savings, but actually saved 12 cents. When 
they came down here to buy their Combivent and their Diltiazem, if you 
take a look at it, with their card, they paid $81.43. The cash price 
was $47.49. There was no savings. The actual out-of-pocket increase was 
$33.94. The drug companies manipulate these prices with or without a 
card.
  The Democrats have a real plan. We believe every senior should have a 
prescription drug plan covered underneath Medicare and lower prices of 
the prescription drugs that we all need and use. So I would urge this 
body to reject any of the other plans that provide a card which is 
manipulated by the pharmaceutical companies and actually costs us 
money.

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