Thank you, Congressman. I would like to give you my direct assurance that we will be working with you and the other Members of Congress and your staff...

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Secretary. I gather, Mr. Secretary, you agree with Chairman Thomas's opening comments that the implementation...

As to how many millions fit in that category--you have had all of 2004, all of 2005, we are now into 2006, and the millions that you have covered who...

Yes, sir, and you have had‑‑

‑‑really 2 years to get ready for it, and you have enrolled‑‑when you say millions, you have enrolled exactly 3.6 million, haven't...

Everyone‑‑well, I understand the speculation about next year, but of your 24 million that you all boasted about today, only 3.6 million...

Yes, sir, I am glad you make that point, and I assume you don't disagree with my 3.6 million figure or would have said so. You actually have reduced...

Is this‑‑

About 10 million or 11 million less than last year. With reference to this program, you refer in your written testimony to the President's comment...

The cost to the taxpayers of this bill currently is estimated to be over $700 billion for this decade, right?

The cost to the taxpayers, the estimate still is over $700 billion for this decade, isn't it?

You are not familiar with what it costs?

Comparing that reduction‑‑

Yes, sir, and comparing that reduction in cost with a program that existed before this bill was signed into law where the Federal Government does some...

Not familiar with the tremendous savings‑‑

‑‑that we get when you use negotiating power. You don't suggest that if your office on behalf of all Medicare recipients were involved...

You think‑‑

So, you continue to oppose giving any negotiating authority as this bill does‑‑

One other quick area‑‑

One other quick area, since my time is expiring, President Bush made history last year by being the first President in memory, I think, to call a White...

Thank you. I believe it does, that the trend continues, that the seniors who are relying on the Older Americans Act, the first priority of a White...

Thank you.

Thank you. I am appreciative of your acknowledgment of the Social Services Block Grant and the allocation that is an attempt to do just that, but I...

Thank you.

I will do my best.

Congressman, I have traveled to, I suspect, 42 or 43 States regarding Medicare and stood in front of seniors and talked to them about their individual...

Well, it may be‑‑

I would say it may be that their neighbor is in the veterans' plan, which has, in fact, one of the most restrictive formularies.

It may have been one of the‑‑it is one of the more restrictive formularies we have.

Then one of the good things we could do is have a plan in the choice of plans that would emulate that. If we had‑‑

I believe that the best way to reduce prices is to have a robust, competitive market, and we have seen that demonstrated in Part D.

We have regulated prices in Medicaid, and‑‑

We currently have a high number, some argue too many, but we have a high number of plans who are going to the pharmaceuticals and saying to them, "If...

All I can tell you, Congressman, all that needs to be said, is that when this program was started, the average cost to an American would have been $37...

Congressman, I would argue that for the first time in the history of this country, there is no reason that a senior should have the worry that their...

The practice has been, when people use oxygen, to rent the machine and the service. It has seemed inconsistent to many in the Congress and to many...

We just want them to own the machine.

It is true often that the enthusiasm of critics rarely has‑‑they rarely temper their criticism with realism. In this case, we simply wanted...

We want people to have the oxygen they need. We just don't want the taxpayers to have to pay an unreasonable amount for it. The system needs to work....

First of all, our job is not to block it. It is to find out if it is safe, and we are not certain and cannot guarantee that it is. It is the Congress...

I don't know the answer to that, except that we know that drug counterfeiting is a substantially greater risk every day. I can tell you that if you‑‑

I would be happy to.

Congressman, that is at the heart of the reason that the drug prices are going down. We now have an organized competitive market for the first time...

Part D is an insurance program. Like any insurance program, if you wait until just before you are going to use it, it is quite expensive. For example,...

That is a policy question that would require the approval of Congress. The basic construct of the program now is the actuarial soundness that I have...

I actually spent a fair amount of time in Ohio directly with the Governor and with those who are applying for the benefits and visiting with beneficiaries...

Perhaps I could show you generally how that is occurring. If I could show these charts, this might be an appropriate‑‑

Then just let me give you the quick version, that the time waits were absolutely unacceptable during the first week or week and half, and they have...

No, that is not just Ohio, but that is the national picture. Ohio would have not been any different.

Perhaps I could mention to you that that isn't necessarily‑‑they are getting the vast majority of that Social Services Block Grant funding;...

I can give you an explanation on why it is that we are increasing the dollars going into community health centers, where a large percentage of them...

Every program is important to someone in a budget, and we are in a period of time where we are reducing deficits. I have been forced to make decisions...

No one in this Administration has anything but enthusiasm about being able to have seniors served in their homes. You will see many programs in this...

There are 250,000 people a week enrolling in this benefit. They are not enrolling in it because people said they had trouble at the drug counter. ...

We are getting through this. This is the implementation of the largest change in Medicare's history. Medicare was not implemented originally without...

Yes. The Chairperson referenced the American Health Information Community. That is an effort to create standards so that electronic medical records...

Thank you.

No, I know of no change in policy that would have been reflected in his story. That does not mean that there haven't been changes, but they have not...

We are stepping up efforts to protect people from counterfeit drugs. That is what I was referencing.

It is hard to hear about one anecdote and respond in terms of if it was caused by one thing or another. I don't know the answer to it.

On counterfeit drugs.

Not specifically. We are working to assure that consumers are protected from counterfeit drugs.

Not specifically Canada, but generally. I am not able to make reference‑‑I am happy to respond, but I have no knowledge of any policy change...

I am not able to respond to that because I have no specific knowledge.

Congressman, can I say that we are currently dealing with what I will refer to euphemistically as Part D 1.0. We are going to be starting very soon...

How long did it take you to sign your mother up?

That matches my experience. If you can get the drug bottles and the Medicare card, it is half an hour or 45 minutes, depending on if it is the first...

I guess I am relieved.

Part D.

I am aware that there were differences of view on what it was going to cost, not between 700 and 400, but there were differences that were smaller than...

It is clear‑‑I am not referring to differences‑‑I know that it started at one number and numbers were re‑estimated. That...

The President in his State of the Union address indicated that he believes, as I suspect you do, and I do, that the entitlements need to be dealt with....

I understand your point.