MEDICARE II: Democrats Announce Common Approach Drug Plan
President Clinton and congressional Democrats announced a "common approach" to creating prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, the Wall Street Journal reports. "There is no better time to get this done," Clinton said, adding, "People talk to me about this everywhere I go." Clinton and congressional Democrats agree with Republicans and the pharmaceutical industry that the "drug benefit should be consistent with a broader Medicare reform effort." But the Democrats argue that the benefit should be made available to all Medicare beneficiaries, whereas the Republicans "are leaning toward a narrower approach that targets the needy." A recent audit by the inspector general of HHS, however, revealed that the Medicare program continues to "suffer losses related to improper payments to health care providers," a report which may hamper the Democratic plan for drug coverage (Murray, 3/10). In remarks given at the White House yesterday, Clinton concluded, "We owe it to our people, especially our seniors, to pass a good prescription drug plan. We shouldn't be satisfied with half measures (White House Transcript release, 3/9).
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