Janice Schakowsky: “3 months into the implementation of the Medicare drug benefit, one thing is perfectly clear, and that is the ``D'' in…”

“3 months into the implementation of the Medicare drug benefit, one thing is perfectly clear, and that is the ``D'' in part D stands for disaster. Beneficiaries are being bombarded by marketers and have been victimized by fraud. Forty percent of beneficiaries have yet to choose a plan because they remain perplexed and frustrated. $1.2 trillion seniors and people with disabilities deserve better than this. The Berry amendment would provide beneficiaries an additional 6 months to choose a plan. This is the least that we can do for our senior citizens. I cannot imagine that any Member has not gone home and found hundreds and thousands of seniors who cannot figure this out. Only a small fraction are computer literate, and they are trying to figure it out. Let us give these seniors a little more time to try and figure this out. In the meantime, maybe we can fix this plan so that it can be serving them rather than the pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry. This is a very, very sensible amendment. I know that there are people on both sides of the aisle who are feeling the pressure just to give a bit more time to our seniors. I hope you will all support this amendment.”