Chuck Grassley: “this amendment is simply not necessary. The first enrollment period began--can you believe it--just 2 days ago, and…”

“this amendment is simply not necessary. The first enrollment period began--can you believe it--just 2 days ago, and somebody says, You know, it is not long enough. It is going to last for 6 months--until May 15. There are lots of resources available. As one example, States have counselors available to assist beneficiaries under the State Health Insurance Program. That is the whole point of that program--to help beneficiaries understand the Medicare benefits in the legislation. The bottom line is that it is no picnic to sort through the fine print of health insurance. It even may rank among the most unpopular and complicated responsibilities of American adulthood--like deciphering your income tax. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services developed a nationwide network of other community-based organizations that can provide beneficiaries one-on-one assistance. The prescription drug plans base their proposal to serve Medicare beneficiaries on the enrollment period specified in the law. The amendment would affect those proposals and could lead to higher costs for both beneficiaries and the government. I, for one, am tired of people on the other side seeming to have a lack of confidence in our American senior citizens who are often well informed about the choices they can make and make good decisions. This amendment is not needed, and I raise a point of order on germaneness.”