That health plan no longer exists, and those seniors don't have drug coverage. About 68 percent of Montana seniors have supplementary Medigap coverage, but very few have Medigap coverage that includes a prescription drug benefit. It's just too expensive. Sadly, Montana has one of the lowest rates of employer-sponsored health coverage in the nation. It's clear to me that the time has come for a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Drug prices continue to rise, making it more costly for seniors to buy their medicine.
And while drugs are growing more effective, their prices are skyrocketing. The capability of today's prescription drugs to prevent and cure disease is truly remarkable. We must not have a nation in which costs prevent seniors from obtaining the medicine they need. Seniors must not be forced to choose between buying drugs and buying other necessities, like food. I'm committed to ensuring that seniors never have to make such a choice.