[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10843-10844]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1100
                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  (Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, we have long talked, over the years 
that I have been serving in Congress, about prescription drug plans and 
how we can effectively deal with the countless seniors who have not 
been covered over the years and who continue to call our offices and 
come to us for assistance.
  Many of our seniors have been forced to choose between buying 
essential medications, paying for food, and I know some of them who 
have subsisted, when their money does not stretch far enough, by buying 
canned pet food for their meals. They also have to figure out how to 
buy their essentials: pay their rent and pay for the heat during the 
winter, or cool off during the hot summer weather months that we have. 
Women seniors, in particular, need prescription drug coverage. Over a 
quarter of them have no prescription drug coverage.

[[Page 10844]]

  Our Democratic plan is voluntary. Seniors who would choose to 
participate would pay a $25 monthly premium, $100 annual deductible, 
and 20 percent of their prescription drugs, up to $25,000 a year.
  We have talked about prescription drug benefits long enough. It is 
time to give seniors what they deserve, a comprehensive, reliable, 
affordable plan.

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