Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Prescription Drug Benefit Conversation with the President
Annandale, Virginia
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Thank you, Mr. President.

I am delighted to be here with you, to help the Asian Pacific American community learn about this important new prescription drug benefit.

And I want to thank everyone here for coming today. Thank you for being here.

It's important to sign up by May 15th, so you and your families can take advantage of the lowest possible premiums. Yes, there are many different plans to choose from. But I've helped people sign up for this program, and it's not as confusing as you may have heard. And the savings to you and your family are well worth it. People who join the Medicare drug plan can expect to save an average of $1,100 this year alone.

This Administration has aggressively reached out to the Asian Pacific American community — like those of you here today — to make sure you know about this benefit. Information has been translated into Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog, and is available on the Social Security Administration Web site at www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp. And Asian Pacific Americans who have limited English proficiency can call one of three toll-free numbers and speak directly to a customer service representative who speaks Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean. Here are the toll-free numbers:

Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin): 1-800-582-4218

Korean: 1-800-582-4259, and

Vietnamese: 1-800-582-4336

I want to thank the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for making these special toll-free lines possible, and for putting on outreach events like this one today.

The Department of Labor is also helping to spread the word. We have helped the states distribute information about the program to our nationwide network of 3,500 One-Stop Career Centers. And we are tapping every available distribution channel in our agencies, including working with organizations devoted to veterans, faith-based communities and Americans with disabilities. So there are many ways to find out about this program.

As I said in my introduction, President Bush launched the Medicare prescription drug coverage because he shares the deep appreciation, love and respect that our community has for our parents, and for all elderly members of our society. And he knows that it will save us money. So please help spread the word by telling your friends and neighbors about this program, and how they can sign up and save money.

Thank you for coming.