Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Chairwoman Johnson for bringing this important bill to the floor of Congress this evening.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard some talk about how complicated the program is and how confusing it is. I would like to just take a moment to point out that if you have a couple of things at your disposal it is not that confusing at all. And if you will put your prescriptions in one hand and in the other hand your Medicare card, and then call 1-800 Medicare, the people at the other end can help you with choosing the right prescription drug coverage for you.

Yes, there are a lot of plans. In my State of Texas, there are 20 different drug plans that have a variety of different permutations, and 36 different prescription drug options are out there.

But if you approach it from cost, coverage and convenience, look at how much the cost is, if that is your most important driver, look at the coverage of the medicines provided, if that is your most important driver, or if you want to get mail order or your mom-and-pop pharmacy down the street, if that is the most important thing, make that the issue that becomes the top of the list, and then cost, coverage and convenience.

You can go through with their Plan Finder tool on the Web site, www.medicare.gov, or again 1-800-Medicare, have your prescriptions ready so you know what you are taking and the dosage you are taking, and they will help you with that.

Link to video below:

Rep.  Burgess Speaks on Medicare