[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICARE

  (Mr. GERLACH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the importance 
of the new Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount card. Starting 
in May, seniors across America will have the choice to enroll in a drug 
discount card plan. At this time, over 100 companies have applied to 
offer a prescription drug discount card. In June, older Americans can 
begin using those cards to save anywhere from 10 to 25 percent on their 
prescription drugs. Low-income seniors who choose to enroll in a drug 
discount plan will receive $600 of Federal assistance in 2004 and 2005 
to further defray the costs of their medications.
  The discount cards enable seniors to save money on their prescription 
drugs now while work is being done to implement the new Medicare Part D 
benefit. For those older Americans with no prescription drug coverage, 
waiting is not an option.
  It is vital that we communicate to seniors their options regarding 
prescription drug assistance. I encourage all of my colleagues to reach 
out to seniors in their districts to explain the choices and benefits 
that older Americans now have.
  I encourage seniors to visit Medicare on the Web at www.medicare.gov 
or to call Medicare's 24-hour toll-free information line at 1-800-
MEDICARE to get the answers to any questions they may have about their 
benefits.

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