Congress votes this week on greatest expansion of Medicare since creation in 1965

Nov. 20, 2003

--Congress will have one a day or two to read and debate 1, 071--page bill

--Creates open-ended drug entitlement that will eventually cost trillions, up to 40% of GDP

--Token free-market concessions not enough to make a difference

--Clock is ticking; contact Congress NOW!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today, AAPS along with more than 40 other groups in the Coalition Against Higher Medicare Drug Costs held a news conference at the Capitol to outline our opposition to the Medicare conference bill now before Congress.  Members include the National Taxpayers Union and the American Conservative Union.

Even though the bill is 1,071 pages, it was just released midday on Thursday.  A vote to pass or defeat is expected on Friday or Saturday so Congress can recess for the year in time to get home for Thanksgiving.

Here are the concerns outlined by the Coalition:

• Adding to Medicare’s Unfunded Liabilities.  Medicare is already projected to go bankrupt.  Nonetheless, this bill will unconscionably add hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities to the program.

• Deficits.  This bill will add at least $400 billion to the already record budget deficits projected in the near term.  If past history is any guide, we can expect the actual cost to be much higher.

• Millions of Retirees Will Lose Good Coverage.  Despite provisions that attempt to prevent companies from dropping coverage for their retirees, we believe this bill will lead to millions of retirees losing benefits currently being provided by their former employers.

• A Retreat on the Promise of Reform.  Real reforms have largely given way to “fig leaves” such as demonstration projects (which Congress has a remarkable tendency of ignoring or undermining anyway)

It’s interesting that the AMA “strongly supports” the bill, citing improvements in physician payments (1.5 percent increase) and regulatory reforms.

AAPS doesn’t think any doctor should sell out patients for a few dollars or the hollow promise of token regulatory reform of a broken system.

READ AAPS STATEMENT, COALITION LETTER & SEND MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
 

Association of American Physicians & Surgeons

1601 Tucson Blvd.  Suite 9

Tucson, AZ  85716

(800) 635-1196

(520) 325-4230 Fax

www.aapsonline.org

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------