New Medicare Drug Resource Page

The 2003 debate on Medicare and prescription drugs has been sort of surreal.

First, few experts believe the stand-alone, high-premium drug benefits passed by both the House and Senate will work as intended -- it is likely Congress will have to greatly inflate the stated $400 billion cost over the next 10 years to smooth over workability and political problems.

Second, the long-run cost of the benefit as the baby boom generation retires and enters the Medicare program has been left completely out of the debate.

Third, the sheer magnitude of the Congressional micromangement inherent in the House- and Senate-passed bills is staggering. Medicare reform was supposed to be an exchange: Seniors get more options of health plans from which to choose (and the responsibility to choose wisely), and Congress gets out of the micromanagement business and focuses instead on oversight and making sure Medicare's basic processes are sound. However, the bills represent a new high (or low perhaps) in Congressional micromanagement of every minute sector of Medicare's operations.

Links:
Centrist Policy Network 2003 Medicare Drug Resource Page
S.1 Senate-Passed Medicare Drug bill's Table of Contents graphically illustrates continued Congressional micromanagement, not reform.

Posted by Jeff Lemieux at July 13, 2003 10:45 AM