[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10737]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, no senior citizen or disabled 
American should be forced to choose between buying food and paying for 
the prescription drugs they need. It is that simple. Yet, for thousands 
of seniors, this is a choice they have to make.
  The average Medicare recipient uses 18 and a half prescriptions a 
year. Some conditions are treated very successfully with medication, 
but it frequently comes at a high price.
  For example, stroke patients take clot-busting jobs that can cost 
upward of $1,700 a year. For seniors on a fixed income, this is a 
staggering sum.
  The Republican plan helps seniors facing this choice. It offers 
affordable options that allow Medicare recipients to choose a plan best 
fitting their unique medical needs.
  By providing prescription drug coverage for everyone, Republicans 
want to make sure that no senior citizen or disabled American falls 
through the cracks.

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