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AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

Fixing the Republican Prescription Drug Bill

 

Affordability:  Democrats will reduce the cost of prescription drugs.


Democratic Prescription for Change: 

  • Require Medicare to leverage its bargaining power and negotiate lower prices with drug companies so that seniors get a better deal.
  • Help close the “donut hole” by dedicating the cost savings from price negotiation toward ending the coverage gap.

Flawed Republican Bill:

  • Specifically prohibits Medicare from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices – a proven tool used by the Veterans’ Administration to reduce costs. 
  • Many beneficiaries will be faced with a coverage gap where they will be forced to pay the entire cost of their prescriptions between $2,250 and $5,100 – also known as the “donut hole”—even though they will still be responsible for paying monthly premiums. 

 

Simplicity: Democrats will offer a simple option directly through Medicare.


Democratic Prescription for Change:

  • Allow seniors to choose a plan administered directly by Medicare – efficiently guaranteeing a simple and secure benefit that will reduce drug costs and ensure comprehensive coverage. 
  • Extend the enrollment deadline to December 31st without penalty, so that individuals are not locked out of drug coverage for the rest of the year.

Flawed Republican Bill:

  • Rather than building on the existing framework in Medicare, the Republican Congress chose to outsource prescription drug coverage to private plans resulting in an unnecessarily complex program.
  • Individuals who did not sign up prior to the May 15th deadline are being forced to pay a lifetime penalty in the form of higher premiums and will be denied drug coverage until 2007. 

 

Reliability: Democrats will ensure access to prescription drugs. 


Democratic Prescription for Change:

  • Stop drug plans from increasing co-payments and creating burdensome administrative hurdles during the year, when beneficiaries are not allowed to change plans.

Flawed Republican Bill:

  • Under the Bush plan, prescription drug plans can change how much they charge at any time or create administrative hurdles that make it burdensome for beneficiaries to access their prescriptions.

 

Promoting Life-Saving Stem Cell Research

Democratic Proposal:

  • Expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, with strict ethical guidelines, using embryos from fertility clinics that would otherwise be discarded.
  • Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to unlock the doors to treatments and cures to numerous diseases, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.

Republican Record:

  • Republican Congress failed to override President Bush’s veto of the stem cell research bill, thereby denying hope to millions of American families.



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“ Under the Republican's plan, millions of seniors that choose to remain in traditional Medicare would see their premiums rise. In a study of the effects on premiums under the proposed legislation some beneficiaries would pay up to three times as much as others for some Medicare services. This is unconscionable. Equity has always been a fundamental tenet of Medicare. All seniors deserve a fair deal. ”

Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR)

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