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Congressional Response: Representative Sue Myrick (R-9th, North Carolina) Responds To Your Prescription Drug Petition
Two-thirds of today's seniors already have excellent coverage through private health plans and Medicaid. But for the one-third who don't, the burden is great. So, I support utilizing a public-private partnership to let seniors choose between several competing prescription drug plans in order to find the one that best fits their needs. I also want to make sure that if a senior is happy with their existing coverage they can choose to keep it and not participate in the Medicare prescription drug program. I feel this approach would strengthen Medicare in order to protect seniors from high out-of-pocket costs. I do not support a one-size-fits-all government approach, but a voluntary plan that is available and affordable to all. That's why I supported the prescription drug bill, H.R. 4954, which passed the House of Representatives in June, and I will continue to work for passage of a plan that benefits all Medicare beneficiaries. H.R. 4954 creates a system in which insurance companies and health plans enter into contracts with the federal government and are then authorized to negotiate price discounts on behalf of seniors. The government will share costs up to $2000 and then cover fully any catastrophic coverage seniors may face. Under H.R. 4954, seniors will be guaranteed at least two competing prescription drug plans to choose from instead of having one government-defined benefit. This bill uses the marketplace rather than governmental price controls or regulations to lower the costs of drugs. September 2002 | ||||||||
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