Issue Position: Medicare Part D

Issue Position

Issue Position: Medicare Part D

Medicare Part D
The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 added a prescription drug benefit to the program and fundamentally changed Medicare as we know it. While I supported the more comprehensive Senate version of the legislation, I voted against final passage of the bill. I believe that Congress should have enacted a simple plan so people could have shown their Medicare card to their pharmacist and then received a discounted price. This program has been a frustrating and confusing experience for seniors, as well as their family members, physicians, and local pharmacists.

Part D, which went into effect January 1, 2006, falls short in addressing the rising cost of prescription drugs. The program has resulted in gaps in coverage, premium rates that vary wildly from one year to the next, and formularies, the lists of prescription drugs a plan covers, that change even more frequently. Rural communities in particular are struggling to make Part D work for their citizens. Many seniors are losing money under the plan because they are spending more on premiums, co-payments and deductibles than the value of the benefits they will receive in a given year.

Medicare beneficiaries should have access to a real, reliable drug benefit, and that is why I support several changes that will improve this program. These changes would require the federal government to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs; close the coverage gap known as the "donut hole"; extend the annual open enrollment period; and allow seniors to change plans during the year if they are not happy with the initial plan they selected. I am proud Congress passed legislation that eliminated late enrollment penalties for Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible for the Low Income Subsidy Program. I will continue working with my colleagues to protect and strengthen Medicare and the retirement security of our seniors.

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