For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 8, 2003
Statement on H.R. 1
Statement by the Press Secretary
On Monday, December 8, 2003, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1, the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003," which creates a new voluntary outpatient
prescription drug benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries beginning in
2006; authorizes a Medicare-endorsed prescription drug card and
additional assistance for low-income seniors beginning in 2004;
establishes the Medicare Advantage program, which incorporates and
expands on Medicare's current private insurance plan option; authorizes
a limited demonstration project under which private health plans would
compete against Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program; and
makes a number of other changes related to Medicare, Medicaid, and
other health related programs.
###
|