A bit more info about the Medicare part D Prescription Drug Plan
OBAMA:
"The U.S. is the largest market for pharmaceuticals in the world, yet our seniors pay the highest prices for brand pharmaceuticals. The Medicare Part D Program was supposed to address this problem but instead created a “doughnut hole” which limits drug benefits for seniors with more than $2,250 in annual costs. (Senator Obama was not in the Senate in 2003 when Congress passed the Part D program but would have opposed it.) For many seniors, this is a particularly devastating example of "bait and switch." A truly meaningful prescription drug program should provide a benefit that seniors can understand and count on, and reduce the cost of these drugs. To help lower the cost of prescription drugs, Senator Obama has supported efforts to allow American seniors to purchase prescription drugs in Canada and bring them back to the U.S. He also has supported giving Medicare the ability to negotiate lower drug prices."
MCCAIN in Senate: 2003 ABOUT PROPOSED PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL: MEDICARE PART D
"The American people should be aware that this new benefit has substantial cost to seniors, and to current and future generations of taxpayers, who will bear the majority of a crushing financial burden. There will be unintended consequences of our actions, Mr. President. We can be sure of that. Moreover, we should be honest about the cost of this measure - $400 billion is merely a down payment for what we are creating. Given the fiscal realities we face, realities that will become more dire with every passing year, Congress and the Administration should have committed to addressing the acute need for a drug benefit to alleviate the impossible choices confronting lower income seniors. And, most importantly, begun to seek consensus among responsible members of both parties for the reforms we all know are necessary to save Medicare."
AND FROM THE AARP WEB SITE:
"What we often hear from clients these days is that they are having to pick and choose what they can pay for,"
"Those who take medicines that are not fully covered by Medicare or private insurance "are asking themselves whether their medications are more important than their other everyday expenses. It's a tough call for them, but they are having to make those choices."
------
