WASHINGTON - Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today offered an amendment in Ways and Means Committee deliberations that would guarantee all Medicare enrollees access to a prescription medicine benefit.

The Cardin amendment would ensure that all individuals who are eligible for Medicare can enroll in a new, voluntary prescription drug plan to be financed by monthly premiums and federal government contributions.

"Seniors are facing a crisis. Access to affordable prescription medicines is no longer available, and it has become clear that private insurers are unable or unwilling to meet seniors' needs. The only way to ensure that beneficiaries have adequate coverage for prescription drugs is to make that benefit an integral part of Medicare," said Rep. Cardin. "We know that Medicare works. It has a proven track record of providing the elderly and disabled with the finest health care coverage in the world. Congress must modernize the program to guarantee its beneficiaries the prescription medicines they need," said Rep. Cardin.

The Congressman pointed to the disintegration of the Medicare+Choice program and the continuing withdrawals of HMOs from Medicare as evidence of the private market's failure to provide seniors with needed services and benefits.

"The upcoming deluge of HMO pullouts threatens the security of millions of seniors nationwide who face cancellation or reduction of benefits during the next six months. This shows us that relying on private insurers to provide health care to seniors is not a guarantee of coverage. The only way to guarantee that seniors can get necessary prescription medicines is to make that benefit part of Medicare," said the Congressman.