Statement on Prescription Drugs

San Francisco, CA, October 29, 2003

“Time is running out on efforts by Congress and the President to add a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. Unfortunately, President Bush is asking Congress to cut deals with the prescription drug industry that shortchange America's seniors.

“The Administration and the Republican congressional leadership want to privatize Medicare and push older Americans into drug HMOs. They tout the virtues of competition, but would gut Medicare's guarantees of universal, affordable health care. They've capped spending on the benefit to limit its size, leaving a gaping hole in coverage, imposing high premiums and co-pays for little added value, and doing virtually nothing to control drug prices.

This is wrong. Privatizing Medicare increases costs and complexity for seniors, while limiting their choices. Much as I strongly support a Medicare prescription drug benefit, the proposed legislation stands to be dangerous and misleading and could cause irreversible harm to Medicare. I urge Members of Congress to oppose this flawed proposal and this flawed partisan process. America's seniors deserve better.

http://www.deanforamerica.com

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