KING VOTES TO PREVENT
SENIORS FROM PAYING HIGHER
PRICES FOR DRUGS
WASHINGTON -
U.S. Congressman Steve King
(IA-05) this week voted to
prevent seniors from paying
higher prices for their
prescription medications and
to ensure their access to
the drugs they need.
Although King opposed the
bill, the House passed H.R.
4, which requires the
Secretary of Health and
Human Services to determine
the price of drugs for
Medicare. This requirement
would apply to Medicare Part
D, the new Prescription Drug
Benefit.
Before casting his vote for
H.R. 4, King met with Dr.
Mark McClellan, the former
administrator for the
Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) and
former commissioner of the
Food and Drug
Administration, to fully
weigh how seniors would be
affected if the government
was required to set
prescription drug prices for
Medicare.
"When I vote on issues that
affect Medicare, like this
one, I look to see what is
best for lowering the costs
that seniors pay
out-of-pocket. I also make
sure that seniors and their
doctors will be able to
choose the medicine that is
best for them," said King.
"Government involvement in
fixing drug prices will lead
to fewer choices for doctors
and patients and more
out-of-pocket prescription
drug expenses for America's
seniors."
Under Medicare Part D, the
new Prescription Drug
Benefit, premiums seniors
pay for the basic drug
benefit have fallen to an
average of $22 a month,
which is more than 40% less
than the average $37 a month
that was expected.
According to CMS, on
average, beneficiaries are
saving nearly $1,100 a year
on their drug costs, with
many seniors and their
doctors having more drugs to
choose from under Part D
than they did before. In
addition, Part D has saved
billions of taxpayer
dollars; actual costs came
in nearly $13 billion under
budget for 2006.
"I understand there are many
changes that need to be made
to the Medicare program to
ensure seniors receive the
best possible care. I will
continue to work toward
meaningful reform, but I
cannot support measures,
like H.R. 4, that will
reverse the progress we have
made in improving this
important program for
seniors. There are still
ways we can improve
Medicare, and I am working
to do that in the 110th
Congress," added King.
