[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10472]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            $250 FOR SENIORS

  (Mr. KLEIN of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day for 
seniors in south Florida.
  Today, more than 3 weeks ahead of schedule, checks to help cover the 
costs of prescription medication will be mailed to seniors who have 
fallen into the dreaded Medicare part D doughnut hole.
  I have talked to many seniors in West Palm Beach and other parts of 
my district who had to make the wrenching choice between food and 
medicine. This should not happen in the America that I know, and that's 
why I personally have fought so hard to make sure that health care 
reform included reducing the cost of medicine for our seniors.
  Starting today, payments of $250 will be mailed to every senior who 
falls in the doughnut hole to help cover their costs. This is an 
important step, but it's just the beginning, because starting next 
year, seniors will see a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and we 
will begin to close the doughnut hole for good.
  Fighting for our seniors in south Florida is one of my top 
priorities, and today's checks will make a real difference for seniors 
who have worked hard and paid into the system. I look forward to 
continuing to work together to strengthen and protect Medicare.

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