Maryland

Part D As Senator will you:
	Michael Steele	Ben Cardin
Sponsor legislation to enact a prescription drug benefit delivered through Medicare?		1
Sponsor legislation requiring Medicare to directly negotiate prescription drug prices?		2
Sponsor legislation eliminating the asset test for Medicare Part D’s low income subsidy, also called the Extra Help program?
People with Disabilities As Senator will you:
Sponsor legislation to eliminate the 24-month waiting period for Americans with disabilities under the age 65 to gain Medicare coverage?
Mental Health As Senator will you:
Sponsor legislation to make Medicare cover outpatient mental health care at 80% of its approved rate, as Medicare does for all other outpatient medical services?		3
Low-income Individuals As Senator will you:
Sponsor legislation to fully federalize administration and financing of the Medicare Savings Programs?		4

Checkmarks indicate a response of "Yes"

Comments from Mr. Cardin:

1. "The current structure of Medicare Part D is overly complex for beneficiaries because of its sole reliance on private health insurance companies to offer coverage. During the Ways and Means Committee's consideration of the Medicare prescription drug bill in 2003, I offered an amendment to establish a guaranteed benefit within Medicare. Unfortunately, it was voted down on along party lines. I have introduced legislation, the Preserving Medicare for All Act, to create a prescription drug benefit that would be administered by Medicare, and that would cover all medically-necessary medicines and to fix other structural flaws in the Part D law."

2. "Far too many seniors are in the coverage gap, known as the donut hole, because the Part D law prohibits the federal government from negotiating drug prices and lowering the costs for beneficiaries. My legislation, the Preserving Medicare for All Act, would authorize the federal government to negotiate drug prices on behalf of beneficiaries."

3. "I am a cosponsor of the Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act, which would eliminate discrimination against mental health services in the Medicare program."

4. "Administrative complexities have limited qualified seniors' access to MSPs. I believe that federalizing these programs would greatly increase the number of beneficiaries who receive needed assistance."