Thomas Daschle: “this morning we were again reminded of how much remains to be done in addressing the health care crisis in America.…”

“this morning we were again reminded of how much remains to be done in addressing the health care crisis in America. Today's paper has this headline: ``Medicare Law Is Seen Leading to Cuts in Drug Benefits for Retirees.'' According to the article, the government is now estimating that 3.8 million retirees who currently receive prescription drug benefits through their employers will see their coverage reduced or eliminated as a result of the Republican drug law passed last fall. That is simply unacceptable, and it is only one of the many problems we are facing when it comes to health care. Over the past several years, the cost of health insurance has skyrocketed, and millions more Americans have found themselves uninsured. A while back, I held a ``living room meeting'' on health care costs in Sioux Falls. An older, married couple came to that meeting. He's a veteran, 68 years old, with diabetes and congenital heart failure. She's 62, with cerebral palsy. Last year, shortly after the husband retired, this couple learned that the wife's bladder cancer had come back. This couple pays $418 a month in health insurance premiums through COBRA, plus another $400 a month for prescriptions, and more on top of that in co-pays for doctor visits. Soon, their COBRA eligibility will expire. The husband is on a waiting list--a waiting list--to see a VA doctor. But they don't know how they will pay for the wife's health care after they lose their current insurance coverage.”