[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EXTEND THE DRUG BENEFIT DEADLINE

  (Mr. BISHOP of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, the Medicare drug program is off 
to a rocky start, as President Bush put it yesterday.
  Following a dozen town hall meetings I have held in my district on 
the part D benefit, my constituents remain confused and doubtful that 
the drug plan will work for them. As a result, many seniors on Long 
Island have not yet signed up. Many of those who have chosen a plan are 
encountering delays in their applications and will not receive their 
drug cards until after the May 15 sign-up deadline.
  Adding insult to injury, seniors will be penalized with a 1 percent 
premium increase for every month after the deadline passes. This Bush 
Medicare penalty should not be piled on top of the already overwhelming 
burden of understanding the drug benefit.
  Mr. Speaker, America's seniors deserve real help keeping up with 
soaring prescription drug costs. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to 
support a 6-month extension of the sign-up deadline so that seniors are 
not punished and they receive the affordable life-saving drugs they 
deserve.

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