Medicare Low-Income Legislation

Floor Speech

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Mr. DELGADO. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of seniors in upstate New York.

This August, I joined a forum with AARP in New Paltz on the need to address the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs in our communities. I heard harrowing stories from seniors, many of whom are on fixed income, who have seen the medication they rely on triple in price.

The system is working against our seniors. Right now, qualified covered retirement accounts are included in determining income and eligibility under the Medicare part D low-income subsidy program, and this means seniors must choose between saving for retirement and lifesaving medication.

Saving for retirement shouldn't jeopardize how low-income subsidies for Medicare part D beneficiaries are distributed. That is why I joined my colleagues in introducing H.R. 4655, the Enhancing Retirement Security for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2019, to remove retirement accounts from that determination and lower out-of-pocket costs for our seniors.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4655.

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