Hilda L. Solis: “in 1965, Congress created Medicare and promised seniors that after a lifetime of working and paying into the system they…”

“in 1965, Congress created Medicare and promised seniors that after a lifetime of working and paying into the system they would have access to health care coverage during their retirement years, regardless of where they live, their age or their income. Thirty-eight years later, instead of honoring our commitment to affordable, accessible health care for all seniors, Congress is set to create a prescription drug benefit program that will destroy Medicare as we know it and turn it over to the unreliable for-profit insurance industry. A Medicare prescription drug bill should use the purchasing power of our nation's seniors to negotiate lower prescription drug costs, just as we do for veterans now, and it should provide assistance to low-income seniors who need extra help in their retirement years. Our hard working seniors and their families expect a high quality, affordable, universal and guaranteed prescription drug benefit within their trusted Medicare program. Unfortunately, the Republican plan dismantles Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system with private HMOs competing with the traditional Medicare system.”