Trust the Seniors on Medicare

TRUST THE SENIORS ON MEDICARE -- (House of Representatives - March 16, 2006)

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, today we are just 60 days away from the deadline for seniors to sign up for the new Medicare part D prescription drug plan. This plan is giving seniors choices for prescription drug coverage that will cost less while offering more benefits.

Millions of seniors who were without access to drugs are now getting them, and many are saving thousands of dollars a year. In fact, the typical senior could see his or her total drug expenses drop by nearly 50 percent.

Those with limited income and resources could have nearly no expenses at all. It is a real shame that Democrats are trying to scare seniors away from enrolling in this program by saying it is complicated and confusing.

Fortunately, their attempts to sabotage the program are failing. According to a recent article in The Washington Post, 80 percent of senior citizens polled say they had no trouble signing up for or using the Medicare prescription drug plan.

Another poll conducted last week by Ayres, McHenry & Associates shows that 60 percent of seniors said that they were saving money by using the program. Madam Speaker, I trust the positive feedback from the actual folks using the program much more than the negative rhetoric of Democrats trying to turn this into a political issue.

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