March 16^th 2009

The Honorable Dianna DeGette

Congresswoman for the State of Colorado

2335 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman DeGette,

About a month ago, members of the Health Care Advisory Committee (HCAC) for the National Retiree Legislative Network, all Colorado citizens, met with you in your Denver office to explain the need for a catastrophic cost benefit in Medicare. We informed you that 50% of all personal bankruptcies are attributed to catastrophic health care costs. Also we stated that the rate of bankruptcy for Medicare recipients is twice the national average and for those over 85 it is four times the national average.

At the meeting we informed you of a study done by the Congressional Budget Office (Option 81, “Budget Options, Volume 1, Health Care”) last year that showed a methodology whereby catastrophic coverage could be added to Medicare at no additional cost to the taxpayers. In fact this change to Medicare would actually save substantial sums of money over future years. It was accomplished by combining the Medicare program A&B deductibles into a single yearly deductible.

You showed considerable interest in this approach and directed your local staff to get with the Washington staff to investigate the viability of implementing this change to Medicare. Since then we have received no feedback from your office on the results of their investigation. One of our attendees, Hazel Floyd, has contacted your Denver office several times without success.

If this is an approach you are willing to pursue to protect thousands of elderly Americans from catastrophic medical costs, we would support you in any way we can. Please let us know of your disposition on this matter.

On another subject, we also talked about a bill recently introduced into both houses of Congress H R 684/S.330, the “Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009”, a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate bulk discount prescription drug prices with the Pharmaceutical Companies. You indicated that most of the sponsors were close acquaintances of yours and you would probably sign on as a co-sponsor. Could you please let us know if you are now actively supporting this legislation?

Thanks for meeting with us and for all the good work you do for the people of Colorado. Sincerely,

Ed Bettinardi; HCAC Chairman                               Hazel Floyd; HCAC Member

John Kotson; RMAC Chairman                                Barbara Wilcox; HCAC Member