[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, seniors cannot wait a minute longer 
for a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Our seniors have been 
in need for far too long. Unfortunately, they will be very disappointed 
with the plan that will be presented by the Republican majority either 
this week or after the Fourth of July break. With its high deductibles, 
fluctuating premiums and gaps in coverage, the Republican plan hardly 
provides any benefit at all.
  But the biggest problem with their plan is that it relies on the 
insurance industry to work. Their plan is the first step in their long-
term effort that they have been trying to do to privatize Medicare.
  Let us face it. The insurance industry just does not work for 
seniors. As we have seen with the Medicare+Choice program, private 
health insurance companies cannot make a profit with the health care 
demands of our seniors. That is why Medicare was created in 1965. It is 
foolish to believe that private drug plans will be able to do any 
better.
  We need to take profit out of the equation and create a prescription 
drug plan that is run by Medicare, just like hospital visits and 
doctors visits. It is time to stop wasting money on failed experiments 
and put the money where we know it will work, in a drug benefit under 
Medicare.

                          ____________________