[News-releases] NOW Applauds Democratic Senators' Stand AgainstDeceptive Medicare Bill

NOW Applauds Democratic Senators' Stand Against Deceptive Medicare Bill

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy.


November 24, 2003

While Republicans attempt to shove a bitter pill down the throats of seniors,
NOW applauds the bold Democratic senators who have vowed to filibuster the
Medicare bill. Our members especially thank Senators Edward Kennedy and John
Kerry  for their leadership in mounting the filibuster against the ill-
conceived dismantling of the Medicare entitlement. Kudos also go to Senators
John Edwards and Joe Lieberman for returning to Washington from the campaign
trail to oppose this legislation. Both Kerry and Lieberman will miss the Iowa
debates as a result and we hope the MSNBC cameras show them on the Senate
floor where they are working to protect the pocketbooks of America's seniors,
not pad those of the pharmaceutical industry.

At the same time,we are extremely disappointed at reports that Senators Dianne
Feinstein and Ron Wyden are supporting this bill that pits billions in profits
for the industry against seniors who need a Medicare program they can count
on. Senior women should not be fooled by this bill. It's a deceptive proposal
that will actually cause some seniors to lose coverage and will likely result
in much higher drug prices in the long run. We deserve better.

According to census data, by 2025 there will be 34,971,000 women over age 65.
Surely the government can negotiate the same discount drug prices for them
that they have arranged for our nation's veterans, yet this bill prohibits
negotiation of discounts.  How can we ask tens of millions of people over 65--
mostly living on fixed incomes--to feed the coffers of the drug and HMO
industry while our government stands idly by?

Lawmakers' promise of a more generous prescription drug benefit--if only
seniors would abandon the guaranteed Medicare program that has served them
well for decades and move to a risky managed care private insurance plan--is
not just a bad deal, but smacks of betrayal. Much of the $400 billion
allocated for this bill will enrich health care and drug industry moguls and
give tax rebate payoffs to employers of older workers facing retirement.

For older women, who generally use more prescription medication than men and
who have less income, on average, than senior men,  passage of this proposal
will lead to more, not fewer, hardships.

Even more outrageous is the reduced coverage for low-income and disabled
persons under new restrictions for 'dual eligibles' who have been covered by
both Medicare and Medicaid. I can't imagine what lawmakers were thinking when
they made these changes that will unquestionably harm our parents and
grandparents.

NOW activists across the country oppose this plan which, if enacted, would
begin to dismantle Medicare. We strongly  support the Democratic senators who
are working to halt this dangerous bill. This will be a key vote as we
determine who are the real women's rights supporters in this Congress.

Contact: Rebecca Farmer, 202-628-8669, ext. 116