Representative Lloyd Doggett Introduces Legislation to Help Low-Income Seniors Get the Drugs They Need

Bill Would Help Millions of Low-Income Seniors and People with Disabilities Enroll in Medicare Part D

Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) introduced the Prescription Coverage Now Act, which will help millions of low-income seniors and people with disabilities enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about this legislation:

“We commend Representative Doggett for his leadership in introducing legislation aimed at assisting low-income seniors and people with disabilities enroll in Medicare Part D. This new proposal is a much-needed fix for the millions of seniors and people with disabilities who have not yet enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan.

“Since the implementation of Medicare’s new drug benefit, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has failed to reach millions of those who Part D was designed to help most—low-income retirees and people with disabilities. Of those who have not enrolled in Part D, at least 3.27 million qualify for the extra help provided by a low-income subsidy.

“Under the Prescription Coverage Now Act, CMS and the Social Security Administration would be better able to target eligible beneficiaries. Seniors would be notified of their benefit level and given the opportunity to sign up for a Part D plan or have CMS choose a plan for them. The bill would lift restrictive limits on assets that currently penalize seniors who have set aside a small nest egg for retirement. Seniors eligible for the low-income subsidy would not be subject to penalties for signing up late.

“Congress created the new drug benefit in order to ensure seniors could get the prescriptions they need. We thank Representative Doggett for standing up for the seniors who need help the most, and we will work with him to get the legislation enacted into law.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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