Barbara Boxer: “for over 35 years, Medicare has been a savior for our seniors citizens. It has helped pay their doctor bills, their…”

“for over 35 years, Medicare has been a savior for our seniors citizens. It has helped pay their doctor bills, their hospital bills, and their home health bills. But it has not paid for their prescription drug bills, and millions of seniors across the country have been waiting a long time for the day when prescription drug coverage is offered through Medicare. That day is getting closer. I am supporting--and the Senate will soon pass--a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Let me tell you why this is important. In California, four million people are enrolled in Medicare. Every day, far too many of them are forced into the difficult choice of paying for their prescriptions or putting food on the table. I want to tell you a few of their stories. I recently heard from a California woman who told me she struggles to survive on $950 a month income. She cannot, she says, afford all of her prescription drugs. She is, unfortunately, all too typical. A constituent from San Marcos, CA told me that her annual costs for prescription drugs this year will top $10,000. Another constituent from Indio, CA told me that she has made five trips to Mexico over the last several years to purchase her prescriptions. She drives all day long to Mexico in order to purchase affordable heart medication.”