HCON 328 IH1S

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to coverage of outpatient prescription drugs under the Medicare Program and with respect to providing for appropriate new budget authority for such coverage.

February 13, 2002

Ms. KILPATRICK (for herself, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. KAPTUR, and Ms. BROWN of Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to coverage of outpatient prescription drugs under the Medicare Program and with respect to providing for appropriate new budget authority for such coverage.

Whereas the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2002 established a reserve fund of $300 billion for a medicare outpatient prescription drug program;

Whereas the rising costs of outpatient prescription drugs presents a great financial hardship for seniors and disabled individuals and impairs their overall well-being;

Whereas enactment of a medicare outpatient prescription drug plan that provides for a comprehensive, universal, and voluntary drug program for medicare beneficiaries is needed; and

Whereas Congress and the President have pledged to enact a meaningful medicare prescription drug plan: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) an outpatient prescription drug benefit for medicare beneficiaries under the medicare program should be enacted in 2002;

(2) the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2003 should include new budget authority for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2008 to provide for coverage of outpatient prescription drugs under the medicare program; and

(3) the aggregate amount of that new budget authority for fiscal years 2003 through 2008 under the concurrent resolution on the budget should be $300,000,000,000.

END