Shelley Berkley: “I oppose the Republican prescription drug plan. I represent the fastest growing Congressional District in the United…”

“I oppose the Republican prescription drug plan. I represent the fastest growing Congressional District in the United States. I represent the fastest growing senior citizen population in the United States. When I came to Congress, I thought I would modernize Medicare, improve Medicare, strengthen Medicare. I never dreamed that I would participate in the destruction of Medicare. This legislation before us this week destroys the Medicare system. I oppose this plan. It does not offer a guaranteed prescription drug benefit for seniors. It ends traditional Medicare that seniors in my district and throughout the United States rely on. Under this Republican proposal, there is no guarantee that private insurance companies will offer prescription drug coverage. While Republicans estimate that the cost of the premium would be $35, the fact is we do not know how much the premium is going to be. Private insurance companies can devise their own plan and raise premiums whenever they want to meet their bottom line rather than meet the needs of our senior citizens. The Republican plan does not guarantee that seniors will receive any help with rising drug costs. The plan creates a donut hole in the coverage. Seniors who have more than $2,000 in prescription drug expenses are responsible for all of their drug costs until they reach $5,000 in medical costs. And they still have to pay the premium. Forty-seven percent of seniors in the United States fall into this gap.”