Deborah Koff Ross: “Today the new prescription drug discount cards went into effect as part of the Republicans so-called Medicare bill that…”

“Today the new prescription drug discount cards went into effect as part of the Republicans so-called Medicare bill that passed in December. Few seniors have signed up for these so-called discount cards because they provide little, if any, significant savings. Under the new law, beneficiaries can only sign up for one card a year, but the drug companies who offer these cards can switch the drugs they cover every week. So a senior who signs up for one particular card just to save money on a specific drug may find that a week later that card no longer helps them, and many drug companies are starting to jack up their prices just so they can offer discounts without losing a dime in profits. Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this by our seniors. We should and must allow the government to use the purchasing power of 41 million seniors to lower the cost of prescription drugs, but the current Medicare law prohibits this from happening. I urge my colleagues to pass a real meaningful Medicare prescription drug plan this year.”