Encouraging All Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries to Review Available Options to Determine Whether Enrollment in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Best

ENCOURAGING ALL ELIGIBLE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES TO REVIEW AVAILABLE OPTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ENROLLMENT IN A MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN BEST MEETS THEIR NEEDS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE -- (House of Representatives - May 10, 2006)

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, it has really been clear from day one that the Medicare part D prescription drug program was planned with the best interests of drug companies and insurance companies but not seniors in mind.

This plan was wrongfully conceived, and then poorly implemented so that seniors had to struggle to understand a confusing mass of plans, prices and protocols.

As we approach the deadline by which seniors must enroll in a plan or be faced forever more with a financial penalty, it is obvious that we need a new prescription for progress.

Just last week, a GAO report found that the information about the part D benefit provided by CMS through the hotline and handbooks and their Web site was full of errors. We should not penalize seniors for a poorly designed program which was poorly implemented.

Mr. Speaker, we must change this deadline now and allow seniors adequate time to study their options and choose the drug plan that best fits their needs. Instead of passing this meaningless resolution, we should pass legislation to extend the deadline and truly help seniors.

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