Bush Administration Is Out to Destroy Medicare

News and Opinion for Democrats Against Bush -- Part II

Bush Administration Is Out to Destroy Medicare

"The bill that President Bush will sign today is a giant windfall for the drug companies, opening up a huge new market with virtually no effort to restrain prices. It will give Medicare recipients a modest drug benefit, but at a potentially dreadful cost. The bill starts the process of undermining Medicare by turning parts of it over to insurance companies, H.M.O.'s and other private contractors. ..."

--Bob Herbert, New York Times

"Rather than using the power of the government to lower the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, the President wants to use the power of the government to help his pharmaceutical and insurance industry friends make more profits."

--Edward F. Coyle, executive director,

Alliance for Retired Americans

New York Times

December 8, 2003

Stalking the Giant Chicken Coop

By BOB HERBERT OP-ED COLUMNIST

The complete article may be purchased online from the New York Times archives at-- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10912FC3B590C7B8CDDAB0994DB404482

Excerpt--

Today President Bush will sign into law a prescription drug benefit under Medicare that will introduce the first cold drafts of bitter reality to the G.O.P.'s long dream of dismantling Medicare as we've known it. ...

The bill that President Bush will sign today is a giant windfall for the drug companies, opening up a huge new market with virtually no effort to restrain prices. It will give Medicare recipients a modest drug benefit, but at a potentially dreadful cost. The bill starts the process of undermining Medicare by turning parts of it over to insurance companies, H.M.O.'s and other private contractors. ...

And then there's the "demonstration" project, to begin in 2010, in which Medicare will be forced in several cities to compete against private, profit-making health plans. It will be a rigged competition ....
Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/08/opinion/08HERB.html

usnewswire.com

10/29/03 2:13:00 PM

To: National Desk - Contact: Ilana Sabban of the Alliance for Retired Americans, 202-974 8264, e-mail: isabban@retiredamericans.org Web: http://www.retiredamericans.org

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by Edward F. Coyle, executive director, Alliance for Retired Americans:

"In his remarks today, President Bush proved once again that he is looking out for the profits of the pharmaceutical and insurance industries instead of the health care of seniors. What the administration and Congressional conferees are supporting will increase premiums and result in the loss of benefits for millions of retirees.

"The prescription drug benefit being debated in conference committee will force Medicare to compete with private insurers, the first step toward privatization of Medicare. When the president says he's offering seniors choices he means the choices of HMOs and PPOs, and we have seen private insurers fail seniors before.

"The Alliance for Retired Americans, which represents 3 million retirees, has long fought for a prescription drug benefit for seniors under Medicare. We oppose this legislation because it privatizes Medicare, has huge gaps in coverage, threatens employer-provided retiree coverage and does nothing to bring down prescription drug prices. The administration and Congress should be working to provide seniors with a prescription drug benefit under Medicare that is affordable, universal, comprehensive and voluntary.

"The Alliance still believes no bill is better than a bad bill. The president says we are almost there. We believe we still have a long way to go."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=128-10292003

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