Karen Thurman: “I really want to highlight and commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums] and the gentleman from South Carolina…”

“I really want to highlight and commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums] and the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spence] for including in this committee bill a study of a proposal that I introduced to expand the national mail-order pharmacy program to all Medicare-eligible military retirees. This mail-order program would ensure the availability of an eligible pharmacy benefit for all eligible beneficiaries regardless of their geographic location. Unfortunately, the program today does not include the vast majority of our Nation's Medicare-eligible military retirees. That is why on June 3, I introduced legislation H.R. 1773 to expand the mail-order program to all our Nation's Medicare-eligible military retirees. This measure is supported by both the Air Force Sergeants Association and the Army Retirement Council. Mr. Chairman, one of the greatest hardships Medicare-eligible military retirees face is the inability to obtain prescription drugs at reasonable prices.”