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Bush
Signs Medicare Bill; Democrats Vow to Fight
The
New York Times President Bush on Monday signed a $400 billion overhaul of the Medicare old-age health system that adds prescription drug coverage, but Democrats vowed an election-year battle to ``take back our Medicare.'' ``Our government is finally bringing prescription drug coverage to the seniors of America,'' Bush said as he signed the legislation he hopes will draw more senior citizens into the Republican camp as he seeks re-election next year. Some Democrats said the overhaul fails to provide adequate coverage, allows drug companies to benefit at the expense of senior citizens and amounts to a privatization of the system. They vowed new efforts to revise the legislation and to make Medicare an issue in next year's national elections. ``You sold us out, so we're going all out to repeal what you've done. ... We're going to win this battle. We're going to take back our Medicare,'' Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy said in a written statement. The legislation adds an outpatient prescription drug benefit -- starting in 2006 -- for the 40 million elderly and disabled Medicare recipients. It also contains huge changes to encourage a far bigger role for private health insurers and managed care plans. It was passed with the support of major senior citizens' groups, including AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons), although individual members of the powerful lobbying group have protested its stance and the group has said it will seek to expand benefits in the future. CONSERVATIVE CRITICISM Some conservative groups have also criticized the bill, saying it creates a costly new entitlement program that will further strain a federal budget expected to exceed a record $500 billion for the current fiscal year. ``There are no free lunches, and future taxpayers will have to pick up the commitment to senior citizens,'' the Heritage Foundation said in an earlier analysis of the legislation. But Bush is hoping that by successfully spearheading an effort to break a long legislative logjam over Medicare reform, he can also break the Democrats' reputation as the champion of senior citizens' interests. ``Medicare is a great achievement of a compassionate government and it is a basic trust we honor,'' Bush said. ``Each generation has a duty to strengthen Medicare. And this generation is fulfilling our duty.'' Under the bill, older Americans would buy new ``drugs only'' policies from private insurers. The government would pay three-quarters of the cost up to $2,250 a year, after the beneficiary pays a $250 deductible and a monthly premium estimated at about $35. Then there is a coverage gap until the beneficiary has spent $3,600 out of pocket, after which the government picks up 95 percent of ``catastrophic'' costs. Poor elderly would get additional subsidies. The measure also would make tax-sheltered health savings accounts and available to all Americans. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
