[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5909-H5910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REPUBLICAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the Republican prescription drug 
plan. I represent the fastest growing Congressional District in the 
United States. I represent the fastest growing senior citizen 
population in the United States. When I came to Congress, I thought I 
would modernize Medicare, improve Medicare, strengthen Medicare. I 
never dreamed that I would participate in the destruction of Medicare. 
This legislation before us this week destroys the Medicare system.
  I oppose this plan. It does not offer a guaranteed prescription drug 
benefit for seniors. It ends traditional Medicare that seniors in my 
district and throughout the United States rely on. Under this 
Republican proposal, there is no guarantee that private insurance 
companies will offer prescription drug coverage. While Republicans 
estimate that the cost of the premium would be $35, the fact is we do 
not know how much the premium is going to be. Private insurance 
companies can devise their own plan and raise premiums whenever they 
want to meet their bottom line rather than meet the needs of our senior 
citizens.
  The Republican plan does not guarantee that seniors will receive any 
help

[[Page H5910]]

with rising drug costs. The plan creates a donut hole in the coverage. 
Seniors who have more than $2,000 in prescription drug expenses are 
responsible for all of their drug costs until they reach $5,000 in 
medical costs. And they still have to pay the premium. Forty-seven 
percent of seniors in the United States fall into this gap.
  The plan does not guarantee that private insurance companies will 
remain in the market for more than 12 months. Seniors could be forced 
to change insurance plans with different doctor panels every year. 
Seniors know and trust their doctors. Many seniors have received care 
from the same doctors for years. Placing this burden on our seniors is 
unconscionable.
  The Republican plan does not modernize Medicare. It does not improve 
Medicare. It does not strengthen Medicare. It dismantles benefits and 
puts seniors into HMOs and PPOs. In 2010, Medicare will compete with 
private health care plans. This will result in higher premiums for 
hospitals and physician benefits. Seniors, particularly women, will 
bear the burden of these increased costs. Instead of dismantling 
traditional Medicare, we should strengthen the program to provide the 
best care for our seniors.
  We should be adding a prescription Medicaid benefit to Medicare, and 
I also support adding a provision to increase Medicare provider 
reimbursements. Thousands of doctors are leaving Medicare because 
Medicare reimbursements do not cover nearly enough of the patient's 
health care costs, leaving the doctors to make up the remainder of the 
costs. Increasing reimbursements allows physicians to continue treating 
Medicare patients while confronting rising health care costs.
  It makes absolutely no sense to me that we have a Medicare system 
that allows people to see the doctor of their choice, and when the 
doctor provides a prescription medication, a senior cannot afford that 
press medication. How outrageous is that in our Nation?
  I also support provisions to simplify the Medicare paperwork process. 
Today, doctors are spending far too much time filling out forms; not 
enough time treating their patients. Many doctors say if we could cut 
through this red tape, they could devote more time to caring for their 
patients. And what is best for the patient is why we are here tonight.
  Las Vegas has one of the fastest growing populations of seniors in 
the Nation. I owe it to the seniors in my district to support a 
meaningful prescription drug benefit; a benefit that is available to 
all seniors who need it, a benefit that does not have significant 
coverage gaps, and a benefit that allows seniors, and not insurance 
companies, to choose their doctors and not force seniors to leave the 
Medicare system that they know and they trust in order to receive 
desperately-needed prescription medication.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join me in opposing the Republican 
plan, supporting the Democratic plan that is easier, fairer, and that 
our seniors approve and agree with.

                          ____________________