Washington, DC (June 5) - The 5,000,000 American women over age 65 who are living with heart disease are in urgent need of a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Many simply cannot afford their medicines, resulting in continued suffering, premature death and disability, and repeated hospitalizations.

"Medicare disproportionately affects women since they live longer than men. With increasing old age, women become poorer and sicker, and thus more dependent than men on Medicare for all their healthcare," said Nancy Loving, WomenHeart's executive director and herself a heart attack survivor.

Moreover, since most older women heart patients take multiple medicines to manage added medical conditions - such as arthritis, diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure - they need a Medicare drug benefit that permits their doctors maximum choice among prescription medicines in order to prevent harmful drug interactions and/or unpleasant side effects.

"Women heart patients aren't like pantyhose - ONE SIZE does not fit all," said Loving. "It doesn't matter if a pill costs $.50 or $5.00 - if we can't tolerate it, we won't take it. Our doctors need to be able to choose those medicines that work best for us as individuals."

She urged Congress to put aside partisan differences and Presidential-election politics, and swiftly enact a Medicare bill that allows unfettered access to prescription medicines.

WomenHeart is the nation's only patient advocacy organization representing the 8,000,000 American women living with heart disease. Founded for and by women heart patients, it aims to improve patient quality of life and healthcare that includes early detection, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. It is a not-for-profit public charity headquartered in Washington, DC.