On behalf of the Medicare Rights Center, thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on draft legislation to create an out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, and to make other recommendations to strengthen the Part D program.

The Medicare Rights Center is a national, nonprofit organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs, and public policy initiatives. Our organization provides services and resources to nearly three million people with Medicare, family caregivers, and health care professionals each year.

Based on this experience, we know that prescription drug affordability and access is an ongoing challenge. Every day on our National Consumer Helpline, we hear from older adults and people with disabilities who are struggling to obtain needed prescriptions. Given that many people with Medicare live on fixed or limited incomes that cannot keep pace with high and rising drug prices, the perennial nature of these calls is alarming, but not surprising.