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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: p
Require
Medicare to leverage its bargaining power and negotiate lower prices with
drug companies so that seniors get a better deal. p
Help
close the “donut hole” by dedicating the cost savings from price
negotiation toward ending the coverage gap. Flawed
Republican Bill: Ř
Specifically
prohibits Medicare from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices
– a proven tool used by the Veterans’ Administration to reduce costs.
Ř
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: p
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. p
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: Ř
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. Ř
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: p
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: Ř
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.
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