Susan Davis: “I rise to talk about older women and their need for a real prescription drug benefit. The legislation we have before us…”

“I rise to talk about older women and their need for a real prescription drug benefit. The legislation we have before us represents a hollow substitute for a bona fide Medicare prescription drug benefit. Every week, I hear from seniors overwhelmed with the cost of prescription drugs. Many find themselves juggling their expenses--often putting off paying some bills--in order to buy their medication. These seniors, our parents and grandparents, who have worked their whole lives and contributed to making our nation great never imagined they would spend their retirement struggling to make ends meet. Congress must act and provide seniors with a prescription drug benefit. Our seniors--especially older women who, literally, are the face of Medicare--are counting on Congress to provide a real solution to the rising cost of prescription drugs. However, this debate has moved beyond providing prescription drugs to seriously undermine Medicare. The Medicare conference report before us disportionately harms older women in the following ways: Women account for the majority of people who are on both Medicare and Medicaid.”