Prescription Drugs

I continue to support efforts to reduce the price of prescription drugs. In November 2003, the U.S. Congress passed the Medicare reform plan supported by President Bush which created the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

I voted against the legislation because it privatizes portions of the Medicare program for the first time in its history, does not guarantee the same benefits for all seniors, relies heavily on the insurance industry to provide benefits and does nothing to control the cost of prescription drugs. I believe that the program is good for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and not so good for our seniors.

However, the legislation was passed and signed into law by President Bush. Since then, I worked to extend the original sign up deadline so people would not be penalized as they were learning about their options. I also supported legislation to allow beneficiaries who make a mistake in choosing a plan to switch plans once and protect beneficiaries from losing their employer-based coverage. While Part D has provided relief to some, we need to go farther and make changes to our healthcare system that will make prescription drugs more affordable for everyone.

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