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Guest Commentary: August 8, 2001
Prescription Drug Plan for Seniors
The Honorable Chuck Hagel
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Recently, in a Rose Garden ceremony, I joined President Bush as he unveiled a plan to take immediate administrative action establishing a prescription drug card program to provide Medicare beneficiaries with discounts on prescription drugs. This plan is modeled after legislation I introduced last year and will re-introduce shortly.
President Bush has taken a bold first step by trying to immediately help the millions of seniors who face the increasing costs of prescription drugs. He is the first President since Lyndon B. Johnson to provide leadership and lay down a plan to address this important issue.
The high cost of prescription drugs is an issue I've been aware of for some time -- my constituents, my mother, my aunts and many others have been coming to me and telling me about the challenges and hardships they face. Over 13 million American seniors on medicare have to pay 100 percent of their increasing drug costs. This causes too many seniors to make the choice between food and medicine -- a choice that no American should ever have to make.
This week I plan to introduce my "Medicare Prescription Drug Discount and Security Act." This plan lowers drug costs for seniors through privately-negotiated discounts on prescription drugs and offers them catastrophic coverage protection. It is not complicated. My bill focuses on helping the seniors who need coverage the most. The plan is responsible and sustainable.
Under my bill seniors wishing to participate would pay an annual enrollment fee of $25, but no monthly premiums. The plan provides discount prices on prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries through a "discount card program." It also limits the out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses seniors face, so they won't have to deal with unlimited annual drug costs. Seniors with the lowest incomes would receive the most help.
The Medicare program provides health care for 39 million seniors, but has not kept up with the advances made in medicine. The tremendous developments made in health care in recent years have enhanced and prolonged lives, and allowed drugs to replace surgery and other intrusive treatments. So, while the length and quality of our lives has improved, it does not need to come at a high price.
I applaud the President's leadership on this issue and believe that with the support of my colleagues we can address the financial burden millions of Americans are left with because of the high cost of prescription drugs.
We must act now.
Note: Senator Hagel writes an occasional column; the above is adapted from his column of July 24, 2001.
 How to contact Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
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