Opening Statement of the Hon. Jim Ramstad, a Representative in Congress from the State of Minnesota

Hearing on Integrating Prescription Drugs into Medicare

April 17, 2002

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this important hearing today.

Prescription drug coverage is one of the most critical issues facing this nation.  This issue has moral, medical and economic implications for every American, not only current Medicare beneficiaries.

This is an issue that affects all of us, as most of us use prescription drugs at some point in our lives and all of us realize that prescription drugs will play a greater role in helping us lead active, healthy lives as we age.

The problem is that when the majority of people need prescription drugs most, in the later years of life, the largest insurer of the elderly does not provide prescription drug coverage.  As a result, many seniors go without the drugs they need, dilute their prescriptions or forego other basic necessities in order to purchase vital prescription drugs. This is wrong.

Medicare must provide an outpatient drug benefit.  Health care has changed and we need a system that reflects the advancements in medicine that have occurred in the past 37 years since the inception of the Medicare program in 1965.  We know that seniors need prescription drug coverage and we know that the Medicare program is not meeting the needs of most seniors.  It is time to modernize the Medicare program.

The Ways and Means Committee is crafting a meaningful prescription drug benefit for our nation’s seniors.  I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on the best way to provide a meaning drug benefit for our nation’s seniors.

Thanks again for taking up this very important issue.