Affordable prescription drugs for Senior Citizens is becoming a signature issue for the fall campaign. Plans abound from democrats and republicans alike. And the issue taking center stage in the Granite State. For NHPR news Don Rush has this report from Washington.
SENIORS ACCOUNT FOR 13 PERCENT OF
THE POPULATION, BUT account for 42 percent OF
All PRESCRIPTION DRUG sales.
AND?PRESIDENT BUSH HAS MADE?prescription
Drug costs A MAJOR THEME OF HIS MANY
APPEARANCES?SUCH AS THIS ONE LAST MONTH.
?TAPE?(SOUND: Medicare must provide prescription drug coverage. And all seniors must be able to choose affordable Medicare option. We?re going to keep our commitment to senior Americans. And we?ll work together to make Medicare work better.
THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE HIS OWN ENTRY into
The debate WITH A 190 BILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN
THE MEDICARE BUDGET.
AND?HE has proposed
A NEW DISCOUINT CARD?
THAT WOULD SAVE OLDER AMERICANS?UP
TO 25 PERCENT ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
BUT THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO PUT HIS
SUPPORT BEHIND?A G-O-P PROPOSAL IN THE
HOUSE.
THE REPUBLICAN PLAN WOULD COST AROUND
350 BILLION DOLLARS?AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE
TO SENIOR CITIZENS?TO BUY into PRIVATE
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS.
THIS STANDS IN CONTRAST TO THE HOUSE
DEMOCRAT PLAN?WHOSE 500 BILLION DOLLAR
PROPOSAL?WOULD HAVE THE GOVERNEMENT PICK
UP THE TAB.
THE G-O-P PROPOSAL IS A BIG HIT WITH
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN E. SUNUNU?WHO
IS RUNNING FOR THE U-S SENATE:
?TAPE?(SOUND: Sixty-five percent of retirees already have prescription drug benefits?many of them from private sector companies. It?s a benefit that many of them enjoy and are satisfied with. We shouldn?t try to undercut and undermine that some retirees are getting now from a pension or from a former employer or perhaps a spouse that works. What we should try to do is give retirees even more choices)
BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN
PLANS?allow premiums ?AND DEDUCTIBLES to increase.
THE PLANS WOULD PAY?A PORTION OF
DRUG COSTS ABOVE THAT.
ALL COSTS WOULD BE PICKED UP?AFTER
HITTING?THE 4 TO 5 THOUSAND DOLLAR ceiling.
BUT?THE REPUBLICAN plan WITH IT?S EMPHASIS
ON PRIVATE INSURERS?CAUSES CONCERNS FOR
CRITICS.
JUDY WAXMAN IS WITH FAMILIES USA?A PUBLIC
INTEREST GROUP?BASED IN WASHINGTON D-C.
?TAPE?(SOUND: The benefit package they?re talking about is not one that really like Medicare is what you get. They?re allowing insurance companies to play around with it?to play around with even what drugs would be covered. To play around with the amount of money in your pocket you?ll have to spend on it. They call it choice we call it confusion and again an illusory benefit)
Like Sununu, NEW HAMPSHIRE CONGRESSMAN
CHARLES BASS?also SUPPORTS THE House
REPUBLICAN PLAN.
BUT?HE SEES Congressional APPROVAL
OF any PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION ?A MUST
FOR THIS YEAR:
?TAPE?(SOUND: Bottom line for me, whether you?re for the Republican plan or the Democratic plan vote for a prescription plan for seniors. If it doesn?t work perfectly we can change next year or the year after. But a no vote on prescription drugs this year means seniors will get nothing at all. I think this is a good plan. I hope it?s passed before the July 4th recess)
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE ALSO EXPECTED
TO BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE?IN THIS YEAR?S
NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN.
AND?INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN BOB SMITH, who
Is running for reelection?..has? A
MORE MODEST PROPOSAL than his GOP collegues.
IT WOULD REDUCE?THE OVERALL MEDICARE
DEDUCTABLE TO 675 DOLLARS ?WITH NO HIKE
IN PREMIUMS.
AND IT ENVISIONS?NO INCREASE IN
GOVERNNMENT SPENDING?LIKE THE PLANS
OF THE DEMOCRATS?AND -- ESPECIALLY OF HIS
G-O-P COLLEAGUES:
Bob Smith:
?TAPE?(SOUND: I?m not in favor of their
Plan because it deals with a tax increase?a 300 billion dollar tax increase number one. And number two it has premium increases. I don?t support either. And I don?t think that?s a wise alternative)
SMITH?S PLAN?proposes a TOTAL
ANNUAL CAP OF 5-THOUSAND DOLLARS?.and THE
PLAN would PAY 50 PERCENT OF THE out-of-pocket
COSTS.
THIS?HE SAYS?IS WELL WITHIN THE RANGE
OF affordability for THE AVERAGE SENIOR.
High prescription drug costs have been plaguing Americans---especially those on a fixed income---for years.
Although both parties are now advocating that Medicare must include provisions to pay for prescription drugs??What?s unclear is which plan has the support to make it to the President?s desk.
But this is an election year, and the majority parties in both Houses of Congress face tough elections.
And one thing both parties are counting on is that senior citizens usually turn out to vote.
FOR NHPR NEWS
THIS IS DON RUSH
IN WASHINGTON
