[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 73 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HELP SENIORS RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF THE DRUG DISCOUNT CARD

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                           HON. MIKE FERGUSON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, today we are here to discuss the immediate 
savings that our nation's seniors realize due to the prescription drug 
discount cards provided by the Medicare Law that Congress wrote last 
year. After years of promises, this law fulfills our commitment to our 
nation's seniors by providing the first ever universal prescription 
drug benefit under Medicare.
  One would think that these new benefits for seniors, coupled with the 
prescription drug discount card would be a cause for celebration. 
Rather than educate seniors on the benefits of the discount cards, the 
other side of aisle has continued to play politics with this issue and 
resorted to scare tactic towards our nation's seniors and in some cases 
suggest that seniors are too dumb to make decisions for themselves. 
There are even those who are discouraging seniors from signing up for 
the discount card. Perhaps because if seniors sign up, the program will 
be a success; that is not just wrong, it is unconscionable and 
shameful, and anyone who engages in that sort of behavior should be 
ashamed of themselves.
  In my home state of New Jersey we have a very generous state 
pharmaceutical assistance program called PAAD. After working with our 
Governor and CMS, New Jersey has the opportunity to directly enroll 
seniors into the discount card program. Out of the 81,000 seniors and 
persons with disabilities who were eligible for the transition 
assistance provided by the discount card, only 350 opted out of the 
program. As a result of the discount card and our delegation's work to 
get this card to New Jersey's seniors, my state will save $90 million 
on the cost of prescription drugs. These savings can be put back into 
the PAAD program to provide expanded coverage for additional seniors. 
New Jersey is one example that I encourage more states to follow. By 
putting partisan politics aside, our delegation worked with CMS to 
provide a simple process which benefits our state and our state's 
seniors.
  Defying logic, today and in the future, you will hear members on the 
other side of the aisle argue that the cost of prescription drugs will 
increase as a result of the discount card. For those members I would 
like to point to a May 14th study by CMS which shows that in the past 
week more cards have offered increase discounts for our nation's 
seniors compared to prices offered the previous week. Sponsors are now 
comparing their discounts to their competitors, more cards are offering 
favorable prices, and CMS is working with card sponsors to make sure 
that the best discounts are published for Medicare beneficiaries. This 
is what happens when competition is injected into the marketplace. 
That's how markets work. Some on the other side of the aisle would 
prefer a government run, command and control system where bureaucrats 
or politicians tell people what medicines they can have, how much they 
can have and when and where they can have it. That sounds more like the 
former Soviet Union to me.

  Today you will also hear members who will criticize the 
pharmaceutical industry for charging too much for prescription drugs. 
Yet they will not mention the miracle drugs or treatments these 
companies create. Representing the scientists and researchers who live 
in my district of New Jersey, I would like to highlight the good work 
that two of the pharmaceutical companies are doing to help seniors. 
Once a low-income beneficiary has exhausted his or her annual $600 
transitional assistance allowance, Merck and Johnson and Johnson will 
provide its medicines free to that beneficiary's participating discount 
card plan or directly to the beneficiary, through the pharmacy. Neither 
company will receive any fees from these programs.
  In closing, I encourage all members to put aside partisan politics 
and help seniors recognize the benefits of the drug discount card. This 
can be accomplished by working with CMS to clarify any questions our 
seniors may have and allowing seniors to realize the discounts that are 
available to all seniors through the discount card.

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