CSE Responds to Bush Medicare Proposal

“It is heartening to see that Gov. Bush’s plan is one that finally recognizes the failure of Medicare to meet the health care and prescription drug coverage needs for America’s seniors, and works to address those failures—responsibly, not just rhetorically,” stated CSE’s Vice President of Public Affairs, Marty Reiser.

Reiser noted, “For eight years seniors have waited for leadership from Al Gore and Bill Clinton to solve America’s Medicare and prescription drug crisis. The White House has done nothing—worse, the Administration walked away from and House Democrats walked out on bipartisan efforts to strengthen Medicare and provide prescription drug coverage options for seniors. Now, after eight long years, Gore has come up with a rhetorical response to the Medicare crisis. Al Gore may think he has a good issue, but he does not have a good plan.”

In comparing the two proposals, Reiser observed, “The Bush plan will bring choice and competition in health care and prescription drug coverage to America’s seniors. Unlike the Gore plan, it will not:

-force seniors to pay more for less coverage,

-take money away from seniors’ Social Security checks,

-impose price controls that will limit access to medicines and handicap innovation,

-leave a broken, wasteful, bureaucratic Medicare system in place.”

Reiser is available for additional comment.