President Clinton Highlights New Analysis Supporting the Clinton Administration Prescription Drug Plan


THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release March 13, 2000



PRESIDENT CLINTON HIGHLIGHTS NEW ANALYSIS SUPPORTING
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

Today at an event in Cleveland, Ohio, President Clinton will highlight new data documenting the financial burdens middle-income Medicare beneficiaries face in purchasing prescription drugs and accessing affordable insurance coverage for these lifesaving medications. The analysis being released today shows that: (1) middle-income beneficiaries without prescription drug coverage purchase 20 percent fewer drugs but pay about 75 percent more out-of-pocket than those with drug coverage; and (2) premiums for private Medigap insurance with drug coverage – mostly purchased by middle-class seniors – are extremely expensive and get more costly as beneficiaries age. These findings, combined with additional recent research, reveal the shortcomings of some narrowly-targeted proposals by some in the majority party that fail to cover middle-income seniors. The President today will renew his call for his own comprehensive reform plan that includes a voluntary drug benefit accessible to all Medicare beneficiaries.

LOW-INCOME BLOCK GRANT WOULD EXCLUDE MILLIONS OF SENIORS. Some Republicans propose to expand prescription drugs through a block grant to states to cover low-income seniors. While low-income Americans would certainly benefit from a prescription drug benefit, the data show that targeting only the low-income would leave millions of seniors without affordable, dependable coverage.

RELIANCE ON FLAWED PRIVATE MEDIGAP AND TAX APPROACHES LEAVE MAJOR GAPS IN COVERAGE. Others in Congress propose solving the prescription drug problem by expanding private Medigap insurance and through tax breaks rather than creating a voluntary Medicare prescription drug benefit. But such policies would disproportionately assist high-income seniors and would still leave millions of middle-income seniors without a dependable, affordable option. And because they do not promote group purchasing, these approaches cannot leverage price reductions for seniors.

PRESIDENT'S APPROACH ASSURES AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS. President Clinton's FY 2001 budget includes a comprehensive plan that makes Medicare more competitive and efficient and dedicates part of the surplus to improve Medicare solvency and to add a long-overdue prescription drug benefit. Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of the President's plan that estimated its cost at about $150 billion over 10 years. This analysis confirms that the President's plan meets the principles, agreed to by all Senate Democrats, that a prescription drug benefit should be:



What's New - March 2000

Women's History Month 2000

The Minimum Wage: Increasing the Reward for Work

New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

Meeting with Religious Leaders

Women's History Month

New Public Private Initiative to reduce Weather Related Air Travel Delays

Gun Violence

Agreement with Smith & Wesson

Restoring

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

American Red Cross Month

Prescription Drug Plan

U.S. – China WTO Accession Deal

Common Sense Gun Laws

Irish-American Heritage Month

Civilian Research and Development

Patient's Bill of Rights

Joint Statement by President Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the UK

Vaccines to Developing Countires

Human Genome Project

Information Age

Semi-Finalists for 2000-2001 White House Fellowships

President Clinton Urges Congress to Pass Budget

Congressional Budget Resolution

Save your Vision Week

St. Patrick's Day, 2000

Clinton/Gore actions to Enhance America's Energy Security

Social Security Trustees Report - March 30, 2000

Strengthen America's Energy Security

Report Shows Unprecedented Progress

Proclamation: Cancer Control Month, 2000

National Poison Prevention Week

Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2000

Greek Independence Day

Proclamation: National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2000

Statement by the President on NPT

Common Sense Gun Legislation

Raising the Minimum Wage

U.S. --China WTO Accession Deal

U.S.- China WTO Agreement

Enforcement of The U.S. - China WTO Accession Deal


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