THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release June 14, 2000



REPRESENTATIVES OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES AND THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP JOIN PRESIDENT CLINTON TO CHALLENGE REPUBLICANS TO PROVIDE ALL SENIORS WITH THE CHOICE OF
A REAL MEDICARE BENEFIT

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Daschle, House Democratic Leader Gephardt, and representatives of older Americans, people with disabilities, and pharmacists will stand with the President as he challenges the Republicans to ensure that all seniors can access a real Medicare prescription drug benefit. The President will welcome any effort to assure an affordable prescription drug benefit option for all Medicare beneficiaries, but will underscore that a private insurance drug benefit cannot achieve this outcome. He will say he is open to private insurance options, but only if all seniors have the ability to choose an affordable, defined, fee-for-service drug benefit under Medicare. The President will point out that a private insurance model that does not provide such a Medicare option for all beneficiaries would be nothing more than an empty promise.

PRESIDENT CLINTON AND THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP AGREE WITH SENIORS' CONCERNS ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PLAN. Today, representatives of millions of older Americans and people with disabilities voiced their concern that, according to the sketchy details available, the Republican plan would provide a prescription drug benefit through a flawed Medigap-like model that could not assure Medicare beneficiaries it is available or affordable. The Republican plan appears to:

PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL CALL ON CONGRESS TO INCLUDE A REAL MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT. The President will state that he welcomes any effort to provide affordable coverage to all older Americans, but will underscore that a private insurance drug benefit cannot work to achieve this outcome. He will indicate that he is open to private insurance options, but only if all seniors have the ability to choose an affordable, defined, fee-for-service drug benefit under Medicare. The President will point out that a private insurance model that does not provide such a Medicare option would be nothing more than an empty promise.

PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL AGREE WITH AGING, DISABILITY, AND PHARMACIST REPRESENTATIVES REJECTION OF THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. Amid reports that the final Republican proposal will be released on Friday, marked up on Monday, and sent to the floor for a vote shortly afterwards, advocates for seniors and people with disabilities will reject the partisan legislative process chosen by the House. This process fails to provide older Americans and people with disabilities with the time necessary to adequately evaluate the implications of policies of such great importance to their health. In response to their concerns, the President will call on the Congress to work together in a bipartisan fashion a plan that provides a meaningful and affordable benefit to all beneficiaries.

THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN EXTENDS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TO ALL MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES. The President will point out that his plan provides an affordable, accessible, prescription drug benefit option to all beneficiaries. It is:

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