Davis Continues Fight for Responsible Prescription Drug Plan July 14, 2003

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis today offered a motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug bill. The Democratic motion will instruct conferees on two key issues of the bill: to accept the Senate-passed provisions requiring a federal "fallback" prescription drug benefit and to reject the House-passed provision turning Medicare into a voucher program in 2010.

"We shouldn't abandon seniors to the mercy of private insurance and pharmaceutical companies. The fallback makes a promise to our seniors. It tells them that if private insurance companies can't make enough money off of them, they will still get a prescription drug benefit. Without it, the odds of seniors in my district getting a prescription drug benefit under this bill are slim to none."

Currently, there is language in the prescription drug bill that would turn Medicare into a voucher program in 2010, hurting many of our seniors. Congressman Davis along with many of his Democratic colleagues view this change as detrimental to affordable healthcare for seniors.

"Instead of Medicare, seniors will get a voucher for their healthcare and told to go shopping and will be forced to beg insurance companies and HMOs to offer prescription drug coverage to them. A request that many are already on record as saying that they will not be able to fulfill."

"HMOs will compete against Medicare for younger, healthier seniors while jacking up the prices for seniors who have chronic conditions and are in need of more care. These "left behind" seniors will have no choice but to remain in traditional Medicare, which will be starved of funds, unable to compete with the insurance companies & HMOs, and thus will be forced to raise seniors' premiums."