Bob Menendez: “the Republican plan that we consider here tonight is not a Medicare prescription drug plan, but rather a poison bill for…”

“the Republican plan that we consider here tonight is not a Medicare prescription drug plan, but rather a poison bill for our Nation's seniors and for Medicare itself. The more you know about this bill, the less you like it. The Republican plan would encourage employers to drop retiree coverage for their employees. And this means that approximately 94,000 New Jerseyans in my State will be left with no coverage. I thought this debate is supposed to be about expanding coverage for our seniors, not taking it away. Under their demonstration plan, 7 million beneficiaries would be forced to pay more for Medicare if they do not give up their doctor and join an HMO. The Republican plan would cut payments to oncologists nationwide and would result in New Jersey cancer care providers losing $552 million, this in a State that has the third highest instance of cancer in the United States, and in which cancer is the second leading cause of death. Republicans would include a $14 billion bribe to get private insurance company plans to compete against Medicare. Why give away billions of taxpayers money to private insurance interests when that money could be used to enhance a true prescription drug benefit under Medicare? Obviously, Republicans are more concerned about their special interests than senior interests. Republicans would make millions of seniors pay more for their drugs. Seniors would pay $4,020 out of the first $5,100 in prescription drug costs.”