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Durbin Blasts Friday Release of Complex Medicare Regulations

Date: Jan. 21, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


DURBIN BLASTS FRIDAY RELEASE OF COMPLEX MEDICARE REGULATIONS

Assistant Democratic Leader U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement responding to the Bush Administration's release of new Medicare prescription drug coverage program rules that will begin in 2006.

Friday, January 21, 2005

"Today's announcement of new rules for the Medicare drug program is evidence that the Bush Administration has taken an already complicated program and made it more complex by adding layers of red tape on top of layers of red tape. I suspect that most seniors will have a difficult time wading through these more than 1,500 new pages of regulatory gobbledy-gook," Durbin said. "What seniors want and deserve is simple: affordable prescription drugs through Medicare."

"These regulations are another gift to the pharmaceutical industry. By dividing the Medicare negotiating pool into 34 regions and prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from negotiating, we are ensuring drug prices will only continue to escalate." "This year, I intend to reintroduce my proposal to strengthen the program by giving Medicare the power to bargain on behalf of seniors for lower prices and to allow seniors to use those low prices within the program."

http://durbin.senate.gov/releases.cfm

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