Berry Joins Democratic Leadership to Unveil New Prescription for America

I joined House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel, House Energy and Commerce Committee Member Hilda Solis, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rahm Emanuel, and the co-author of my Medicare bill Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky at a press conference to unveil the House Democratic plan for a new prescription drug benefit. As the author of legislation to reform the confusing Republican benefit, I talked about the need to have a Medicare-administered prescription drug plan with price negotiation.

Details on the Democratic Prescription for Change are listed below:

• Require Medicare to leverage its bargaining power and negotiate lower prices with drug companies
• Help close the “donut hole” by dedicating the cost savings from price negotiation toward ending the coverage gap
• Allow seniors to choose a plan administered directly by Medicare
• Extend the enrollment deadline to December 31st without penalty
• Stop drug plans from increasing co-payments and creating burdensome administrative hurdles during the year
• Ensure moderate-income Medicare beneficiaries get the drug coverage assistance they need by eliminating complex barriers