[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         PASS A REAL MEANINGFUL MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

  (Mr. ROSS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, today the new prescription drug discount cards 
went into effect as part of the Republicans so-called Medicare bill 
that passed in December. Few seniors have signed up for these so-called 
discount cards because they provide little, if any, significant 
savings.
  Under the new law, beneficiaries can only sign up for one card a 
year, but the drug companies who offer these cards can switch the drugs 
they cover every week. So a senior who signs up for one particular card 
just to save money on a specific drug may find that a week later that 
card no longer helps them, and many drug companies are starting to jack 
up their prices just so they can offer discounts without losing a dime 
in profits.
  Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this by our seniors. We should and 
must allow the government to use the purchasing power of 41 million 
seniors to lower the cost of prescription drugs, but the current 
Medicare law prohibits this from happening.
  I urge my colleagues to pass a real meaningful Medicare prescription 
drug plan this year.

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