Congressman Mica, what are your thoughts on Medicare?
Medicare is our Nation's most important health care provider to millions of our senior citizens. It faces several crises today. First is the funding challenge, and second is the need to provide affordable prescription drugs.
What are your views on prescription drug coverage for seniors?
Like many Americans, I have been concerned about the rising costs of prescription drugs. While the majority of senior citizens in my Congressional District have prescription drug plans, unfortunately many have been stung by escalating drug prices and some lack coverage or access to affordable medical care and prescription drugs. What I have supported in Congress are measures to correct these problems without destroying participation in current plans or bankrupting our national treasury.
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act on June 27, 2003. The Senate passed its own version on July 7, 2003, and the two bills were reconciled in a conference committee and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act was signed by President Bush on December 8, 2003. The Medicare bill provides prescription drug benefits for seniors who need coverage. Those seniors would be covered for 75% of their yearly drug costs up to $2,250 after paying a $35 monthly premium and a $250 deductible. Seniors would also be provided catastrophic protection, or 95% of all drug costs beyond $3,600.
Unfortunately, some organizations attempted to scare seniors and claim that the Medicare plan would somehow force them, regardless of any existing coverage they may already have, into a new program. Let me assure you these rumors are completely false. The plan passed by the House of Representatives is completely voluntary, and would allow beneficiaries to receive their prescription drugs from any pharmacy of their choice.
These same groups attempted to subvert the truth and convince seniors that they would be forced out of the traditional Medicare fee-for-service plan and into a private plan. The President made very clear his intent to model the current system after the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, which provides health coverage to Members of Congress and other federal employees.
The compromise plan that I supported would begin testing a proposal in 2010 which would allow private plans to compete with traditional Medicare in six designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Under this plan, the decision-making process would be taken out of the hands of the federal government and put in the hands of the beneficiaries. Seniors in these designated areas would be allowed to choose between the traditional Medicare system and a private insurance plan, such as a preferred provider organization network (PPO). Allow me to be perfectly clear: no senior will be forced to give up their traditional Medicare coverage. They will be provided a choice, which should both spur competition among healthcare providers and lead to lower costs for everyone.
