For Immediate Release Office of the
Press Secretary July 14, 2001
Radio Address by the President to the Nation
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to Address with Real Audio Player
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week
in Washington, we have turned our attention to the goal of better
health care for all Americans. I have asked Congress to send me a
strong patients' bill of rights; one that provides immediate access
to specialists, and an immediate appeal to a panel of doctors when
an HMO denies care. I hope to sign a bill that gets people help when
they need it, not a bill adding hundreds of dollars to the high
premiums they already pay.
I am also asking Congress to join me in
modernizing and strengthening Medicare. All of us, young
and old, have a stake in the outcome of this
discussion. From its beginning 36 years ago, Medicare has
represented a basic binding commitment to our
seniors. That commitment will always
stand. And as medicine advances and the needs of our
seniors change, Medicare must advance and improve as well.
The most pressing challenge is the lack
of coverage for prescription drugs. To begin solving this
problem, I am proposing a new national drug discount program for
seniors. This is a straightforward, nonbureaucratic
program which can be in place by January. Everyone in
Medicare will be eligible for a drug discount card, costing no more
than $1 or $2 per month. Present this card at a participating
pharmacy, and you will receive a substantial discount -- at least 10
percent. It's as simple as that, and it's convenient as
well.
This program will provide immediate help
to seniors without destabilizing Medicare's
finances. Yet, my prescription drug plan is only a first
step. We need broader reform to bring Medicare into the
21st century. We need to expand coverage, improve
services, strengthen Medicare financing and give seniors more
control over the health care they receive. And as Congress takes up
legislation, they should be guided by some basic principles.
First, for everyone in retirement or
near retirement, any changes in their Medicare coverage should be up
to them. No senior should have to accept something
different if they like the Medicare program they're on just the way
it is.
First, for everyone in retirement or
near retirement, any changes in their Medicare coverage should be up
to them. No senior should have to accept something
different if they like Medicare just the way it is.
Second, all seniors should be offered a
range of new Medicare plans, both government and
private. Every plan offered to seniors should have at
least the same benefits as the government plan. And all
plans must offer prescription drug coverage.
Third, everyone enrolled in Medicare
should have the power to choose which plan works best for him or
her. The plans will compete with each other, forcing them
to offer better service, extra benefits and lower premiums.
Fourth, reform must provide special help
to seniors with low incomes and unusually high medical
costs. We must put caps on the amount any senior can be
asked to pay in a year. And since the reformed Medicare
will cover prescription drugs, low-income seniors will no longer
have to pay for costly Medigap insurance.
And, finally, we must strengthen
Medicare's finances and make sure that the benefits promised to our
seniors will be always there.
Medicine in America is constantly
improving. And Medicare must improve at the same
pace. By these principles, we can assure that Medicare
will always offer seniors the care they need with the quality they
deserve.
Thank you very much for listening.
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