Prescription Drug Law Creates A Giant Hole In Drug Coverage

PRESCRIPTION DRUG LAW CREATES A GIANT HOLE IN DRUG COVERAGE -- (House of Representatives - September 20, 2006)

(Mr. BUTTERFIELD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, in the coming days, millions of American seniors are going to see why the Republican prescription drug plan was written to help the pharmaceutical companies and the private insurance companies rather than to help our seniors.

Republicans on Capitol Hill sided with the pharmaceutical companies when they wrote the law to forbid the Federal Government from negotiating lower prices. Then they sided with the private insurance companies when they allowed them to create private plans that include what is known as the doughnut hole, a giant gap in coverage, when seniors must continue to pay their premiums but receive absolutely no help with their prescription drug bills.

That is right. Under the private plans that the Republicans created, seniors will lose their drug coverage after they spend $2,250 of their own money on prescription drugs.

This Friday, Mr. Speaker, is the day that the average senior is expected to fall into the doughnut hole. If congressional Republicans were really interested in helping our seniors, they would join us in filling the doughnut hole so seniors do not have to continue to face this giant gap in coverage.

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