[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       FILLING THE DOUGHNUT HOLE

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, starting this week, tax-free rebate checks 
of $250 will be sent to seniors who have already hit the part D 
doughnut hole. This $250 rebate is a key improvement to Medicare and 
the first Medicare benefit of the new health care reform law to take 
effect.
  These rebates are being sent out 3 months ahead of schedule, and the 
first round of checks will reach nearly 80,000 seniors who are already 
in the doughnut hole. Following this initial round of rebate checks, 
additional checks will be sent to seniors as they hit the doughnut 
hole. It's estimated that 4 million seniors across the country will 
receive a $250 rebate check this year.
  This is just a first phase of relief for seniors from prescription 
drug costs. Next year, seniors in the doughnut hole will see a 50 
percent discount on brand-name drugs.
  While the Medicare part D prescription drug program has helped 
millions of seniors obtain prescription drug coverage, seniors who fall 
into the doughnut hole and receive no financial assistance with their 
prescription drugs are often forced to put their health in danger by 
splitting pills or skipping treatments altogether to save on costs.
  Despite the clear benefits to seniors from the health care reform 
legislation, Republican leaders have now made it a priority to repeal 
this landmark law, which will take away these prescription drug cost 
savings and other benefits for seniors and millions of Americans. It is 
now time that we implement further reform.

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