How many people in West Virginia rely on Medicare for health care coverage?
Approximately 335,000 seniors and disabled persons are enrolled in the Medicare program in West
Virginia. How much are prescription drugs expected to cost in the future?
The Health Care Financing Administration, the federal agency which oversees Medicare, predicts
that drug costs will grow at an average rate of 12.6 percent a year through 2010. For those over age 65, the agency estimates that the average yearly bill will rise from $1,989 per person in 2002 to $4,818 per
person in 2011. How many Medicare beneficiaries have access to adequate prescription drug coverage?
Three out of five Medicare beneficiaries lack decent, dependable coverage for their prescription
drug costs, and more than one-third have no coverage at all. What are Senator Byrd's views on the lack of a Medicare prescription
drug benefit for seniors and disabled persons in West Virginia?
I
am very concerned about the impact of the high cost of prescription drugs for those West Virginians who live on fixed incomes and rely on Medicare for their health care coverage. West Virginians should not be
forced to decide between paying for their medicines or paying for other basic needs, such as the food or utility bill. That is why I have cosponsored the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Act to create a
voluntary and universal prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program.
What would the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Act do?
The
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Act would create a universal, voluntary prescription drug benefit in the Medicare program. The benefit would provide all Medicare beneficiaries with affordable coverage for
their drug costs. Also, seniors would be given the bargaining power that they lack today to lower the cost of their medications. |
