[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 28270-28271]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           MEDICARE DRUG PLAN

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, the President breezed through a senior 
center yesterday, and he said, well, the Medicare drug plan seems 
perplexing, but he urged seniors to sign up anyway. It's a good deal, 
he said, of the program.
  Well, it's a great deal for the pharmaceutical industry because it 
protects their profits, and they get subsidies. It's a fabulous deal 
for the private insurance industry because they are getting subsidized 
to offer plans which they can change on a daily basis in terms of 
senior benefits, and seniors can only sign up once a year; but it isn't 
necessarily a good deal for many seniors. So the President gave bad 
advice.
  Very low-income seniors, yes, they should, if they are not covered by 
another plan, look very carefully at their options and probably sign 
up. Others with very high prescription drug costs who don't have 
another plan, perhaps, but some would be losers under this plan. Many 
others, it is questionable whether they should sign up, and the 
government is not making it easy for them.
  Minimally, we should extend the penalty deadline. After all, if the 
pharmaceutical companies and the insurance

[[Page 28271]]

companies can change the seniors' benefits on a daily basis, why is it 
seniors can only sign up for one plan a year, can't change plans and 
will be penalized if they don't sign up by May?

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