September 22nd Marks National ‘Donut Hole Day’
September 22nd Marks National ‘Donut Hole Day': A Bitter Milestone for Nearly 7 Million Seniors and Disabled Americans Who Will Soon Fall into the Part D ‘Donut Hole Trap'
Americans United holds protests across the country calling on Members of Congress to Eliminate the Donut Hole and Fix Part D Now!
September 21, 2006 (Washington D.C.) - In less than 24 hours, national ‘Donut Hole Day' - a day that should never have come to pass - will mark a bitter milestone for the nearly 7 Million seniors and disabled Americans who have or will soon fall into the Part D ‘Donut Hole Trap:' a massive gap in coverage for those covered by the program whose annual costs fall between $2,250 and $5,100. According to a recent analysis from the Institute for America's Future -- which was validated just today by a new report from the House Ways and Means Committee Democrats -- the average Medicare Part D beneficiary will have fallen into the Donut Hole by this Friday, September 22, 2006 - "donut hole day." Americans United has waged on aggressive grassroots campaign to Fix Part D this past year, calling on Members of Congress to fix the costly, confusing and corrupt Rx Drug program so that it is simple, affordable and guaranteed.
The steady drumbeat of the ‘Fix Part D' campaign will crescendo this week as AU and its allies hold 38 events in 20 cities around the country in the coming days - ranging from kitschy to deadly serious "doughnut hole" events outside Members' offices. Attached is our latest grid of activity occurring across the country to draw attention to the donut hole, its consequences and how imperative it is that we FIX Part D. We have joined with some tremendous organizations in this cause including the awesome field operation of USAction, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Campaign for America's Future, Medicare Rights Center, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Families USA, The Center for Medicare Advocacy and the Center for Economic and Policy Research - among others.
"September 22nd marks a dark day for millions of Americans who have or will soon plummet into the Part D donut hole trap. Because of the costly, confusing and corrupt way in which Part D was created, nearly 7 million seniors and the disabled will remember this day as the day President Bush and those who drafted Part D abandoned them in favor of the unmitigated greed of the big drug companies," said Brad Woodhouse, spokesman for Americans United. "Because the drug companies' interests were put ahead of seniors, taxpayers are paying a Cadillac price for a Pinto prescription drug benefit for seniors. Part D must be fixed to provide a real prescription drug benefit that puts seniors first."
Americans United Plan to Fix Part D:
- Reduce the cost of prescription drugs by requiring Medicare to negotiate lower prices from drug companies,
- Close the "donut hole" referring to the gap in coverage for annual costs between two thousand two hundred fifty dollars and five thousand one hundred dollars which will result in millions of seniors being denied coverage each year while they still pay monthly premiums
- Allow seniors the choice of obtaining their prescription drug plan directly from Medicare--instead of from a private insurance company.
- Re-open Part D enrollment and waive the late enrollment penalty until Part D is fixed.
The more serious Americans United ‘donut hole' events will feature real Part D victims who will tell their horror stories about the enormous health and financial burden they now face thanks to the ‘donut hole.' Just yesterday, 74-year old Fort Lauderdale native Betty Priscak helped deliver a box of doughnut holes to Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL) in West Palm Beach, FL. Ms. Priscak explained to Shaw's staff: "The Part D ‘donut hole' has almost killed me. I cannot afford to pay for my medicines, which have already cost me $3,600 out of my own savings this year." AU will continue to introduce Members of Congress across the country to real victims of their corrupt handout to the big drug companies, better known as Part D. We will be providing them with ample opportunity to meet real constituents -- face-to-face - who now face dire health and financial consequences thanks to the Part D Donut Hole - consequences they must now suffer because Part D was written by and for the big drug and insurance companies. You can read more real Part D horror stories on the Americans United website: http://americansunitedforchange.org/pages/donut_hole_stories
Americans United has also joined with the Campaign for America's Future in promoting a concept this week to have 69,000 donut holes eliminated representing one of every one hundred people who will fall into the donut hole this year (http://www.nodonuthole.org/). CAF is sponsoring a contest in which people have been asked to make videos to be posted on You Tube showing the creative elimination of donut holes to bring attention to the most significant flaw of the costly, confusing and corrupt Part D program. Watch some of the doughnut hole mayhem here: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/page/content/doughnuthole/
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