[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN SUPPORT OF MEANINGFUL, AFFORDABLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD PRESCRIPTION 
                             DRUG COVERAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 12, 2007

  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of prescription 
drug coverage for our nation's seniors. While I believe that the 
Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was flawed in many ways, I am glad 
that we have recognized the need for prescription drug coverage for 
Medicare recipients. Too many families have been unable to afford life 
sustaining medications, and it is encouraging that the Congress has 
seen fit to begin to address this grave problem.
  While there have been many legitimate concerns about the 
implementation of the MMA, I am encouraged that in this Congress, we 
will have the opportunity to improve on that original legislation. It 
is extremely important that seniors receive affordable prescription 
coverage. In addition to problems of affordability, we have heard many 
seniors report that the enrollment process is needlessly difficult to 
navigate. Along with the problems negotiating the paperwork, many 
seniors are faced with penalties for failing to meet specified 
deadlines. We must work to ensure that this process is as ``user 
friendly'' as possible, and that all eligible seniors are receiving the 
coverage they need.
  Madam Speaker, I call for the enrollment process to be streamlined so 
that it is easier for beneficiaries to enroll without the confusion 
seniors experienced in 2006. The Bush Administration should do a better 
job informing seniors in clear terms about which plans are available to 
which enrollees.
  I urge my colleagues to eliminate the current penalty for not signing 
up for a Part D plan the first time a person is eligible. Due to the 
confusion during the 2006 sign up process, some seniors were not able 
to enroll in a Part D plan and now will face this penalty.
  Pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline dedicate extensive 
resources to discovering lifesaving cures for devastating illnesses. I 
look forward to work with them, patient advocacy organizations, 
healthcare professionals and my fellow Members of Congress to ensure 
that every senior has access to the medications they need to stay 
healthy. It is my hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
will work with me to make changes to Part D that improve and strengthen 
it for our seniors and help forge a prescription drug benefit that is 
meaningful, affordable and straightforward. The new leadership in 
Congress cares a great deal about our seniors, and it is time that we 
fulfill our promise to ensure that Part D serves seniors in the best 
way possible.

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