Dean Responds to Medicare Bill Signing

[pruner]

NEW YORK-- Governor Howard Dean, M.D., issued the following statement in response to President Bush's signing of the Medicare boondoggle today:

"The Republican Medicare drug bill is a bust for America's seniors. Instead of affordable prescription drugs, Congress delivered a Beltway Special -- hollow promises for millions of seniors paying high drug bills, smothered in billions in special interest windfalls," he said.

"America's seniors won't be fooled when they read the fine print. It pays for less than a quarter of their drug costs. It limits their choice of drugs to what drug companies and HMOs decide they can get. It makes a Federal crime out of importing safe, affordable drugs from Canada. It actually prohibits the government from negotiating lower drug prices -- protecting drug industry profits at our expense."

When this bill actually starts working in 2006, tens of millions of Americans will be worse off than they are today. Millions of middle-class seniors will pay stiff premiums but get no drugs for months at a time. Seven million seniors will pay higher premiums unless they give up their doctor and join untested, unreliable Medicare HMOs. Almost three million retirees will lose their existing coverage. Six million low-income seniors will pay more-- not less -- for their drugs.

"We know what the bill should have done. Drive drug prices down. Let seniors choose traditional Medicare for themselves. Deliver affordable, generous drug coverage. The bill strikes out on all three counts--and instead offers up high drug prices, billions in drug industry profits, billions of HMO subsidies and a scheme to privatize Medicare," Dean said.

"We must deliver a message to Washington. Skip the celebration and get back to work. America's seniors worked hard for this country and deserve lower drug prices and generous drug coverage. If Washington won't do it today, as President, I would deliver on those promises. We can and must do better," Governor Dean said.

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002585.html

[Cleita]

1. And this is why Dean is my candidate.

I am a year off receiving Medicare and to tell the truth, I need it now. My bare bones health plan does not meet my present medical needs. Only Dean understands the reality of our medical needs and the reality of delivering a workable program to the people. In killing Medicare Bush may have unwittingly opened the door for universal health care, which Dean can deliver.

[Pastiche423]

2. A possible naive question

Since this bill would not go into effect until 2006, can it not be shot down before then?

Can the Dems, at any time, come up w/their own bill to be voted on?