In an effort to help offset the high price of prescription drugs, I am cosponsoring legislation that would allow Medicare to pay at
least part of the bill for essential medicines. Medicare was designed 35 years ago to be a safety net for those who, because of age or disability, did not have access to traditional health insurance.
At that time, no one could foresee how the costs of research and new medications would spiral over the years. The time has come to address this shortfall, and to create a Medicare system that is more responsive to the
needs of the people.
In West Virginia, the average Medicare
recipient has an annual income of just $10,700. Of that amount, an estimated $2,100 goes to out-of-pocket medical expenses. An affordable, voluntary Medicare prescription
drug initiative would keep at least some of that $2,100 in their bank accounts and available for other needs.
Seniors should not have to choose between paying for medicine or paying for other
necessities. Statistics and studies show that the current Medicare program does not provide the coverage that Americans need today. The Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Act
would help to fortify the Medicare program, allowing elderly and disabled West Virginians to rest assured that their prescription drug needs would be met.
