Patrick Kennedy: “Here in Congress when we debate Medicare we talk in terms of hundreds of billions of dollars. When my constituent Herb…”

“Here in Congress when we debate Medicare we talk in terms of hundreds of billions of dollars. When my constituent Herb McCullough looks at Medicare cuts he thinks in terms of hundreds of dollars. Herb lives on $640 a month from Social Security and a union pension. His Medicare and Medigap expenses are more than $80 a month. Thanks to subsidized housing, rent is $164 a month. After other expenses--food, clothing, phone--Herb will be lucky to have $87 left each month. Recently Herb had to buy two new hearing aids. He took $500 from his pension but still has to pay $100 a month. How would Herb get by if he had a prescription drug bill like his neighbor--$164 a month? I urge my colleagues to think of people like Herb when voting to raise Medicare copayments to $110 a month.”