Jim Martin: “Voting in support of Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) bill to save seniors’ prescription drug plans should be on every member of Congress’s to do list.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin, leader of the nation’s largest conservative seniors organization with over 7.2 million senior supporters, today offered his highest endorsement to Rep. Renee Ellmers’ H.R. 4160, the Keep the Promise to Seniors Act, which will protect the highly successful and popular Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit from a proposed rules change from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In a letter to Rep. Ellmers thanking her for her leadership on this issue, Martin said, “The proposed rule issued by CMS on January 6, 2014 will destroy the one health care program that has proven extremely effective in controlling prescription drug costs, has near unanimous (90%) satisfaction among seniors and is currently coming in 48% under its projected budget, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. Oh, and the current program offers a model of reform that could save our nation from financial ruin.

“I am, of course, referring to the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, and no, that 48%-under-budget figure is not a typo. Passed under George W. Bush and a Republican Congress, Medicare Part D is performing astoundingly well. Seniors now have access to prescription drugs at an affordable monthly premium that has averaged $30 for three straight years without increasing. And more seniors taking prescriptions and thus staying healthier lowered Medicare’s hospital costs by $13.4 billion in the first year alone — not a bad side effect.

“The success of Medicare Part D’s free-market competition and patient choice model shines light on a pathway to real and lasting reform that could keep Medicare solvent for generations to come. As Medicare stands now, the program will face shortfalls in funding in nine years or less.”

Added Martin, “CMS needs to leave well enough alone. They ought to be studying Part D’s success and finding ways to copy this model, not infect it with the same inefficiency and bureaucracy that plagues most government benefit programs. Rep. Ellmers’ is a true friend to seniors and taxpayers for her leadership in addressing this pending disaster.  Voting for the Keep the Promise to Seniors Act should be on every member of Congress’s to-do list.”

-30-