Reid: It's Time to Put Seniors First

Reid: It's Time to Put Seniors First

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Washington, D.C. - Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement today on the flawed implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit:

"The Administration has created a drug benefit that is so confusing, even the people running Medicare can't get it right. I have always supported adding prescription drug coverage to Medicare, but I know America deserves better. I opposed the new law creating this benefit because Republican leaders designed it to favor special interests over the interests of seniors and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, in implementing the new law, the Administration has continued to prioritize special interests, giving away billions of dollars to HMOs to make the pot so sweet that they all want their hands in it.

"Given these skewed priorities, it's no wonder that the people at Medicare got confused. As we approach enrollment in the benefit, this mistake underscores the need for legislation to delay the application of the late enrollment penalty for beneficiaries who need more time to decide - if the folks at Medicare can't get it right on the first try, seniors deserve extra time to make the right choices without facing significant financial penalties."

http://reid.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=246929