Chris Chocola: “During the next 3 months, Medicare beneficiaries will begin to see real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs…”

“During the next 3 months, Medicare beneficiaries will begin to see real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs with the help of voluntary Medicare-approved discount drug cards. Starting in April, Medicare beneficiaries will be notified by mail of their discount card eligibility, discount card offerings, and enrollment procedures. By June, all Medicare beneficiaries, except those who already have Medicaid drug coverage, will be able to buy a card for about $30 and take it to their local pharmacy and receive 10 to 25 percent off of the regular cost of their drugs. People with incomes below 135 percent of poverty who sign up for the card will be eligible for an additional $600 of additional assistance per year to help further reduce the cost of their prescription drugs in 2004 and 2005. This low-income assistance will benefit over 12,000 Indiana Hoosiers in my district, the second district of Indiana, and almost 200,000 Hoosiers statewide. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues who voted to support the bipartisan Medicare bill and the creation of a discount drug card program that will reduce the cost of prescriptions for our seniors and provide additional relief to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.”