Medicare Town Hall/Doughnut Hole Closure

Floor Speech

Ms. HOCHUL. Madam Speaker, yesterday I spoke with over 8,000 of my constituents during a telephone town hall to talk about the end of the open enrollment period for Medicare, which occurs at midnight tonight.

We also talked about the savings they are now receiving as a result of the closing of the legendary prescription drug doughnut hole. More than 2.5 million Medicare recipients across the Nation have saved $1.5 billion on their prescription drugs this year alone. In New York, we had 175,000 Medicare recipients, and they received a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs, totaling over $113 million in savings, an average of $650 per family.

Yesterday's call was a reminder, when I was talking about Bill from Williamsville and Joan from Livingston County, that we have to work hard to protect this absolutely critical program that ensures medical care for our seniors and allows them to live their later years in dignity.

As my seniors told me: Medicare is not an entitlement; it is a program we spent our entire lives paying into. And I, for one, plan to protect it.

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