[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 22]
[House]
[Pages 29980-29981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN SUPPORT OF MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL

  (Ms. DUNN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, later this week we will have an opportunity to 
keep our promises to seniors. For too long our parents and our 
grandparents have been paying too much for prescription drugs. This 
problem is much more acute for low-income seniors, especially women. 
Women represent more than half the seniors with incomes that are less 
than 135 percent of

[[Page 29981]]

the poverty level. They live longer than men, they spend more on health 
care, and they are more likely to suffer from chronic medical 
conditions. In essence, women need more drugs for a longer period of 
time but are least likely to be able to afford them.
  This prescription drug bill will help those on fixed incomes. A woman 
with an income of less than $13,000 today will receive full assistance. 
No premiums, no deductibles, no gap in coverage. Furthermore, disease 
management programs will help women who are suffering from multiple 
chronic diseases. It will help them receive better care from health 
professionals who can coordinate their medical needs.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to end the rhetoric and deliver on a promise.

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