05-04-2002

HEALTH: Parties Unveil Prescription Drug Plans

House Republican leaders this week unveiled legislation adding a
prescription drug benefit to Medicare, and several Senate Democrats fired
back with a bill of their own. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., on
May 1 outlined a bill that Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas,
R-Calif., and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman W.J.
"Billy" Tauzin, R-La., have been working on for months. The
legislation, which may be formally introduced next week, is expected to
cost $350 billion over 10 years and would rely on private health insurers
to provide drug benefits to Medicare recipients. It also includes
adjustments to Medicare provider payments. Also on May 1, Sens. Bob
Graham, D-Fla., and Zell Miller, D-Ga., unveiled a bill that would cost
$425 billion through 2010. Under their plan, the federal government would
oversee private pharmaceutical benefit managers to deliver the benefit.
AARP praised Graham's bill, but Republicans criticized its expiration
after 2010. "The difference is ours is permanent, and his is
not," Thomas said. "Ours is an entitlement, his is not."
Senate Democratic leaders have not signed off on the Graham-Miller bill,
although Miller noted, "I would not be up here if I did not think the
majority party would support this."


April Fulton/CongressDaily

National Journal