Frank Pallone: “I think we have to keep repeating that this is the policy of the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress.…”

“I think we have to keep repeating that this is the policy of the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress. They have forced this 17.4 percent increase, because of their giving the money back to the insurance companies, the extra money to the HMOs and managed care, and because they are borrowing from the trust fund. But I want to say I have had a couple of seniors contact me over the last few weeks, because they point out that the costs are even higher. One of the things not mentioned here, and I forgot exactly how much it was, but the Medicare bill actually has an increase in the deductible too. Does it go to $150 instead of $100? I do not know exactly the amount. But this is the first time in the whole history of the part B program that the deductible is going to increase. So if you add that, and, remember, everybody is going to pay that, because when you go on January 1 and buy your first prescription or your first series of prescriptions, instead of $100, I do not know what it is going up to, it is going up beyond $100.”