[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 FOR ALL AMERICANS

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in 1968, the average senior 
citizen spent just $64 a year on prescription drugs. Thirty years 
later, the average senior spends about $848 a year on prescription 
drugs.
  In 1968, seniors spent about 2.4 percent of their annual income on 
prescription drugs. And in 1998, seniors spent a little over 4 percent. 
That is almost double in just 30 years.
  Some seniors even have to choose between food and filling their 
prescriptions. This inevitably leads to higher costs for Medicare. And 
more importantly, some of these seniors suffer despite the fact that 
their illness is treatable.
  We can work together for a responsible and effective plan to provide 
prescription drug coverage for all, and it is coverage that will be 
affordable and available for all seniors.

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