![](media/image1.png){width="2.0in" height="0.75in"}

November 13, 2023

The Honorable Dan Burton

U.S. House of Representatives\
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Burton:\
\
On behalf of the 1.5 million Senior activist households in the United
Seniors Association network nationwide and in your district, I thank you
for standing up for Senior Americans.  Never underestimate the immensely
powerful impact you can have on the finances and health of Seniors.

Our USA Health Care Freedom Project is a positive multi-year effort
focused on educating, motivating and activating Seniors and their
families in support of policies that make sense economically and provide
effective and efficient health options.  Our ads on prescription drug
legislation are part of that effort to encourage policies that are
economically *wise* and programmatically *effective*. 

     Prescription drugs are a major emphasis for all Seniors.  President
Bush has been extraordinarily focused on the need to help Seniors in the
area of prescription drugs. The House has answered that concern *twice*
in just the last three years by passing legislation establishing a
prescription benefit with choices under Medicare.  That kind of
initiative and dedication to creating *results*, not just rhetoric, is
supported by the vast majority of Senior Americans.  Seniors want
personal choices, not more complicated layers of bureaucracy. 

      Seniors strongly supported the measure on prescription drugs
passed in the House in 2002.  Why?  Because that measure provided
tangible results in the areas of greatest concern of Seniors:

          • **Affordability**: the most recent research from HHS shows
that Seniors' out of pocket drug costs could fall by as much as 70%,
compared to current retail prices.

          • **Accessibility**: Seniors would have access to advanced
medicines and not suffer the danger and indignity of bureaucratic
rationing.

          • **Choices**: Seniors overwhelmingly want a range of choices
in therapies and medicines, not the One-Size-Fits-All-Seniors,
Command-and-Control, Mandatory approach of many critics of the
House-passed Plan.  The Plan allowed Seniors to *keep* plans they like.

          • **Less Red Tape**: Seniors despise excess bureaucracy. 
Every day they see how it complicates their health decisions and puts
them at risk. Seniors want policy makers to avoid creating new layers of
unelected health bureaucrats.

          • **Patient-Physician Decisions**: Seniors today express grave
concern over the exodus of physicians from the Senior health care field.
They *do not* support prescription drug programs that would worsen that
by placing bureaucracies between themselves and their physicians in
decisions about appropriate therapies and medicines.

          • **Fiscal Responsibility**: Seniors do not want
budget-busting mandatory boondoggles.\
         \
     The critics of the Prescription Drug Plan passed by the House in
2002 must be asked, \"Why are you *so* determined to force Seniors to
wait 2, 3, or 4 years to receive benefits?\"  The critics\' rhetoric
rings hollow and millions of Seniors are hurt by it.  Concern for
Seniors is *not* a partisan issue.  Democrats and Republicans should
join in an effort such as the measure passed in 2002.

     Thank you again for standing with Seniors and for them.  We want to
work with you to move a bill soon.\
                                                      \
                                                                     
Sincerely,

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.125in" height="0.8763888888888889in"}\
CHARLES W. JARVIS\
                                                                  
Chairman and Chief Executive\
\