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SeniorJournal.com - Senior Citizens News & Features Daily on Web |
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The Battle for Medicare Coverage of Prescription Drugs in 2002, Early 2003 For latest news on reform - Click Tuesday, August 11, 2009
This is a collection of reports by SeniorJournal.com and other media on the efforts to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. These reports begin with July 2002, when the battle heated up in the Senate, after the GOP dominated House had passed a bill. Some reports by others may not still be online. Also, see Politics. For the Congressional wars of 2003 Click Here
Consumer Group Strongly
Opposes Bush Medicare Plan
Consumer Reports Offers Free Information on
Key Issues
Feb. 13, 2003 - Consumers
Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, has come out firmly against the Medicare
prescription drug program proposed by President Bush and says it is bad
medicine for seniors. Click
2/13/03
Medicare and
State of Union
Senior Groups Not Happy With Bush Proposal,
Industry Groups Are
Jan. 30, 2003 - Senior organizations are not
happy with President Bushs proposals on Medicare and Social Security in his
State of the Union address, while private industry groups representing
insurance and pharmacy companies are supportive. The critics primarily want
the prescription drug program to be a part of the basic Medicare program,
rather than placed under the control of private firms.
Click 1/30/03*
Pretty Much Same Promises as Two Years Ago
President Bush Says He Will Spend $400
Billion More to Improve Medicare, Again Promises Prescription Drugs
By Tucker Sutherland
Jan. 29, 2003 - President Bush, as
expected, focused a part of his State of the Union address on
improving Medicare, including a program that provides prescription
drugs. There were few details, however, but a budget commitment of an
additional $400 billion over the next decade to reform and strengthen
Medicare. Generally, the promises for Medicare and Social Security
were the same ones he has been making since he began his campaign for
President. Click
1/28/03*
Support for Encouraging Generic Drugs at
84%, Study Says
Oct. 7, 02 -
An overwhelming majority of Americans (84
percent) say that generic drugs are an important part of controlling rapidly
increasing drug costs, according to a new AARP study released last week in
association with three coalitions representing governors, business, labor and
consumers. Americans want Congress to close the legal loopholes that prevent
the quicker availability of generic drugs as lower cost options to brand name
pharmaceuticals. Click
10/7/2*
Drug Issue At Top of
Senior List As They Look to Elections
Sept. 5, 02 - A new survey shows the seniors voters (60 & over)
are leaning to the Democrats but are almost evenly splint between Republicans,
Democrats and undecideds. Approximately 90% of registered senior
voters say they will go to the polls. The survey was by Peter Hart &
Associates for the Alliance for Retired Americans. We have three pages
of graphs from the poll that cover senior attitudes on prescription
drugs, Social Security and more.
Click Here
9/5/02*
AARP Regrouping for
Prescription Drug Fight
After backing two failed
Medicare prescription drug bills in the Senate, leaders of the nation's largest
senior citizens advocacy group insist their organization hasn't lost its clout
on Capitol Hill. 8/18/2
Voters Angry at Partisan
Gridlock on Medicare Drug Plan, AARP Poll
Drug Plan for Seniors Defeated
Lobbyists for the elderly plan to put pressure on lawmakers over drug benefit
Who Voted Against Seniors on Generic Drug Bill This is where you can identify the U.S. Senators that are friendly and unfriendly to senior citizen issues. The vote on this bill to make lower-cost generic drugs more available had only 29 Senators voting against it. Surprisingly, the only Democrat to vote against it was Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), who is chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging. The ranking Republican on this committee, Sen. Larry Craig of Utah, voted for it. Check how your Senators voted. Click 8/1/2* Senate Does Manage to Pass Bill Encouraging Less Expensive Generic Drugs After failing to pass a prescription-drug benefit for seniors, the Senate offered a consolation to consumers Wednesday by approving legislation that encourages cheaper generic alternatives to brand-name drugs. 8/1/2 USA Today Consumers Set To Save Billions Following Senate Passage Of Generic Drug Access Bill, Says Coalition Still Has To Go To House Aug. 1, 2002 - The Coalition for a Competitive Pharmaceutical Market (CCPM) commended the Senate for its passage yesterday of bipartisan legislation that could save consumers billions of dollars through improved access to generic drugs. Click 8/1/2* Survey Of Seniors In Eight States Finds Nearly One In Four Skipping Doses Or Not Filling Prescriptions Due To Cost Almost One-Quarter of Seniors Reported Spending at Least $100 per Month on Prescription Drugs in 2001 Aug. 1, 2002 - A survey of seniors in eight states released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund finds nearly one quarter of seniors report skipping doses of medicine or not filling prescriptions because of costs. Close to one in four seniors report spending at least $100 per month on their prescription medicines in 2001. The survey also finds that access and scope of drug coverage depend substantially on where seniors live. Even in states with the highest rates of prescription drug coverage, roughly one in five seniors lacked drug coverage. Click 8/1/2* Senate Set to Defeat Fourth Prescription Drug Bill Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for letting down the nation's elderly as the Senate appeared ready to reject its fourth Medicare prescription drug proposal. 7/31/2 AP This May Be Last Day of Prescription Drug Fight Facing the prospect of another election year stalemate on Medicare prescription drugs, the Senate on Tuesday gave itself one last day to break the logjam and pass a fourth and final proposal for helping America's seniors pay for their medicines. 7/31/2 Reuters
Senate Inches
Closer to Medicare Drug Benefit
On Capitol Hill, the Senate heads into its third week of wide-ranging debate about prescription drug prices and coverage. Last month, the House passed a Republican-backed bill to add drug coverage to the Medicare program, putting the Senate under increasing pressure to match the move. Click 7/30/3 NPR (Audio available) Pro-Life Group Attacks GOP Drug Plan July 29, 2002 - ''The possibility that prescription drug insurance companies may be forced to cover abortion-inducing drugs and devices is positively revolting,'' said Judie Brown of American Life League. ''Drug insurance companies should exist for the purpose of helping sick people get well by giving them access to necessary medicine, not for killing innocent human persons in their earliest stages of life.'' 7/29/2 Web Site Pushes for Prescription Drugs, Promises Dog Biscuit to President Bush for Each Supporter
Centrist Democrats Offer Compromise Drug Plan July 26, 2002 - The Democratic Leadership Council, which refers to its supporters as the New Democrats, is today pushing for a new compromise prescription drug plan crafted by several House members working with the DLC Progressive Policy Institute. Click 7/26/2* Third Plan Defeated in Senate on Wednesday 7/25/2 AP Prescription drug plan for elderly stalls in Senate 7/24/02
Senate Defeats 2
Drug Proposals 7/24/2 Washington Post Help on the way for seniors How Many Times Will News Sources Run the Same Story? By Tucker Sutherland, Editor, SeniorJournal.com
Earlier Stories
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• Citizens for Better Medicare A non-profit organization keeping Medicare improvement on the nation's agenda. Establishment-leaning organization. Alliance for Retired Americans Union-back group advocating policy on senior citizen issues. Brief History of Medicare Program Official U.S. government web site about Medicare
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The Senate yesterday
dashed the hopes for new prescription drug coverage to help older
Americans this year, rejecting a last-ditch effort by Democrats to
craft a compromise that would break a five-year deadlock on the
popular but politically divisive issue. 8/1/2 Washington Post
Here
is
Medicare's
Pitch
on
Their
Drug
Discount
Card
Proposal