[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6834]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         MEDICARE DRUG PROGRAM

  (Mr. LIPINSKI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, in less than 12 days, seniors face a 
critical deadline. By May 15, they must sign up for a Medicare 
prescription drug plan. After this date, they will pay a permanent 
penalty of 1 percent for every month that they wait to join, a penalty 
they will pay on top of their premium for the rest of their lives.
  I have held more than three dozen seminars across my district to help 
seniors navigate through the overly complex program, and they keep 
calling asking for more help. They are understandably confused by the 
more than 60 different choices that they have. The least we can do is 
give seniors more time to understand their options so that they can 
make their best choice.
  To do this, Congress must pass the Medicare Informed Choice Act which 
would delay the late enrollment penalty, prevent beneficiaries from 
losing their employer-based coverage and allow seniors to switch plans 
if they make a mistake. More than 70 percent of seniors are asking for 
more time. It is long overdue for Congress to listen and make sure that 
seniors have a prescription drug plan that works for them.

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