June 6, 2003
President Outlines Goals for Medicare
In the coming weeks and months, I will be working with the Congress to
strengthen and improve our Medicare system. For nearly four decades,
Medicare has been the binding commitment of a caring society. We must
renew that commitment by providing our seniors with the preventive care
and new medicines that are transforming health care in our country. We
must protect seniors from high medical costs that can rob them of their
savings. And we must place patients and their doctors at the center of
every health care decision.
My goal is to give seniors more choices and better benefits under
Medicare including a long-awaited prescription drug benefit. Those
who like the current Medicare system should be able to stay in it and
also receive help with prescription drug costs. Those who want better
coverage should have access to an enhanced fee-for-service Medicare
program similar to the health care coverage available to every federal
employee, including every Member of Congress. Seniors should have the
same types of choices their representatives in Washington do. And
seniors who want the benefits of managed care plans including
prescription drug coverage should have that choice as well.
I will press for a Medicare reform package that meets these goals,
and affirms our commitment to our seniors. The budget I submitted, and
Congress agreed to, commits an additional 400 billion dollars to make
this goal a reality.
For years, leaders of both political parties have talked about
strengthening Medicare and adding a prescription drug benefit for
seniors. The time for action is now. Please make your voice heard, so
that we can make sure our seniors enjoy every bit of the healing power
of modern medicine.
Thank you.
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