'MediScare' Kicks In - Miami Herald

Printed in the Miami Herald - June 10, 2004

'MediScare' Kicks In

It did not take long for the "MediScare" campaign to kick into full gear. Before the ink of President Bush's signature on the new Medicare law had dried and even before the House or Senate had voted on the bill, opponents had been playing Chicken Little and crying about the sky falling.
Instead of acknowledging the merits of this historic bill, opponents continue to attack anyone associated with the new law. Unfortunately, the public is not getting a clear picture of Medicare and the new prescription-drug plan.

Medicare, the nation's largest health-insurance program serving more than 40 million Americans, was created in 1965 when the healthcare sector functioned differently from the way it does now.
Medicare has been failing to keep up with the demands of today's healthcare, and seniors have had to shoulder more of the rising costs, especially prescription drugs. The program needed to undergo reconstructive surgery to resolve many of the issues burdening our seniors. Now it will provide access to affordable prescription drugs and preserve Medicare for future generations.

Perhaps most important, the new law provides additional assistance for low-income seniors. America's neediest seniors (individuals earning under $12,900 a year and couples earning under $16,600) will immediately receive a cash credit of $600 to help purchase medications.

In 2006, low-income seniors will receive the full drug benefit with generous assistance. Seniors will pay no deductible or premium and only $2 for generic drugs and $5 for name-brand prescription drugs.
This June, Medicare-endorsed prescription-drug discount cards, which the Department of Health and Human Services estimates will provide savings between 15 percent and 25 percent per prescription, will be available to all Medicare beneficiaries. Seniors can call 1-800-MEDICARE or log onto www.medicare.gov <