[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    USER FRIENDLY MEDICARE DRUG CARD

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, there is no question in my mind that the 
availability of the Medicare prescription drug discount card this June 
is going to have a dramatic influence on the cost of prescription drugs 
in this country. For the first time, seniors are going to have an open 
and transparent market; and we have seen in the last 3 weeks how this 
has brought the price of medications down with people being able to be 
compare for the first time, go to a database on the Internet and 
compare drug prices for themselves.
  1-800-Medicare, that the gentleman from Georgia pointed out, or 
www.Medicare.gov can take you through the process. I have done it 
myself. It is easy. It is simple. It is self-explanatory. Simplicity 
and efficiency are the keys to bringing the cost down in this market.
  Liability reform is not a special interest reform. It affects 
everyone in this country. The embedded costs of liability in the 
medical justice system in this country and the results of defensive 
medicine that we all pay for cost the Medicare system $50 billion a 
year.

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