For Immediate Release
September 21, 2006
Contact: Jason McCarty, 405.427.3366

Oklahoma Seniors Getting Dunked Because Inhofe and Coburn Refused to Close Medicare Donut Hole

Because the Bush Republicans in the Do-Nothing Congress blocked Democratic efforts to fix critical flaws in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, the average senior will begin hitting the so-called "donut hole" in the plan's coverage tomorrow, costing seniors and people with disabilities throughout Oklahoma's thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. The "donut hole" is a result of the fact that the plan was crafted in such a way that Medicare pays 75 percent of the participant's first $2,250 in annual prescription drug costs, but forces them to pay all of their drug costs between $2,250 and $5,100.

Nearly 88 percent of Part D enrollees, roughly 7 million Americans, will fall into the donut hole, according to a new report issued by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, According to the report, 88,961 (83%) of Oklahoma's 107,145 Medicare beneficiaries will fall into the donut hole. Oklahoma's Bush Rubberstamps in the Republican Do-Nothing Congress could have closed the donut hole by joining Democrats in passing legislation to fix the Medicare Part D plan. Instead, Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn voted to kill a Democratic amendment in the Senate.

"The fact that the Bush Congress passed a fundamentally flawed prescription drug plan that only benefited their drug company cronies was inexcusable, but the refusal of loyal Bush Rubberstamps like Inhofe and Coburn to join Democrats in trying to fix this mess was an absolute tragedy," said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Lisa Pryor.

"Time after time, Inhofe and Coburn have put their partisan loyalties and special interest friends ahead of the people of Oklahoma. With thousands of our seniors falling into a donut hole that the Bush Republicans refused to close, the need for a new direction in Congress could hardly be clearer," Pryor said. "Democrats are committed to providing a new direction in health care policy-one that puts working families ahead of the special interests, fights to reduce the cost of health care, and works to create a health care system that works for everyone."