Tom Price: “when enrollment began for the new Medicare prescription drug plan last November, most American people heard only about…”

“when enrollment began for the new Medicare prescription drug plan last November, most American people heard only about what was wrong with the program. Now, after 3 months in the new program, have you heard the good news? Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that more than 27 million individuals are now receiving prescription benefits under the plan, when before they received none, 1.9 million new folks just in the last month alone. As more seniors sign up, they are seeing the benefits of the new program. A recent report of the New York Times included comments from individuals who have signed up and seen their prescription drug costs drop dramatically. One woman saw her monthly costs drop from $476 to $100 a month. A February HHS report announced that the average premium had fallen from an estimate of $37 per month to $25 per month in actual cost. As this plan moves forward, Congress must make sure that flexibility exists to respond to patient needs. We should also share the good news because it is the right thing to do. ____________________”