House Centrist Democrats, led by Rep. Cal Dooley (D-Calif.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), will unveil their prescription drug plan at a press conference tomorrow – Wednesday, April 2 – at 11:00 a.m.

The Medicare Rx Now Act of 2003 is an affordable, universal approach to providing all seniors with the prescription drug coverage they need.

The bill provides a prescription drug benefit through existing Medicare Part B coverage by offering universal benefits through an enhanced drug benefit for beneficiaries with more than $4,000 in total drug costs (rather than out-of-pocket expenses), a benefit for low-income seniors with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and the use of Medicare-approved prescription drug card plans. 

WHAT:              Press Conference on Centrist Prescription Drug Plan

WHO:                Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.)
                           Rep. Cal Dooley (Calif.)
                           Rep. Ellen Tauscher (Calif.)
                           Rep. Ron Kind (Wisc.)
                           Rep. Jim Davis (Fla.)
                           Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.)
                           Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.)
                           Rep. Charlie Stenholm (Tex.)

WHEN:              Wednesday, April 2, 2003
                           11:00a.m. to 11:30a.m.

WHERE:           House Radio-TV Gallery, H-321