Republicans WillProtect Medicare Choices for Seniors

Via email:

At a press conference this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced House Republicans will move to ensure seniors continue to enjoy the low prices and extensive choices offered by the Medicare prescription drug program. The GOP measure to protect seniors' choices will be offered when Democrats bring legislation to the floor Friday that would limit seniors' choices by bringing government price controls to the popular new program.

ON PROTECTING SENIORS' CHOICE IN PHARMACISTS

"We believe that many seniors like to go to their pharmacy, talk to the pharmacists about their drugs. They ought to have that right. And as experts have pointed out the only way you drive down the price of this program is to limit choices and do what the VA does: require the drugs to be delivered on a mail-order basis. I don ' t think that ' s what seniors want."

ON HOUSE DEMOCRATS' MEDICARE BILL

"Tomorrow we expect the Medicare bill will be on the floor. This is nothing more than government price controls that's going to lead to higher prices and, frankly, fewer choices for American seniors. And even CBO has come out and said the proposal that will be on the floor tomorrow will not save any money."

ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS' ALTERNATE PROPOSAL

"Seniors are happy with this program. They are saving money. And they have ample choices. Tomorrow in our motion to recommit we will attempt to ensure that seniors are not limited in the number of choices of drugs that they have and that they are not limited in their choices of where they get their drugs."

ON THE COST OF MEDICARE FALLING BY 30 PERCENT

"I think that the free market system we developed three years ago is working and the cost of Medicare Part D, the drug program for seniors is thirty percent less than what it was estimated to cost. The reason that figure has continued to come down is because there is some forty plans offering this drug benefit to seniors. The competition amongst those plans is driving down the cost of these medicines. And I also think that ' s why CBO came out and said, 'We don't expect it ' s going to save any money.'"

As Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-LA) said this week:

"Democrats are faced with two choices: either their bill will be completely ineffective, or it will lower prices by reducing seniors' prescription drug choices, devastating local pharmacies, increasing drug costs for our veterans, and throttling the search for new, life-saving cures. Our Republican motion to recommit will force Democrats to make that choice."