Health Care for Seniors

Issue and Position Statement

23 November 2003

For years American workers have been putting their hard earned dollars into government medical programs - only to see much of it used on unnecessary procedures and overly expensive medications.  Why?  Because the decisions are being made in the wrong places.  You, the patient, need to have more power over where the money goes.

This problem affects all of us.  It is a fact of life that most of us will grow old - and at some point all of us will pass on.  That is perhaps not a politically popular thing to say but it’s necessary.  The objective of these programs should be to make our remaining years as numerous and satisfying as possible.

To achieve these objectives some changes should be made:

  The Medicare payment system should be changed to pay upfront to everyone eligible $200 per month - then require that each eligible person pay the first $50 of each medical charge and non-generic prescription drug charge - up to the $200 per month.   (This upfront payment and charges does not change any of the existing caps and co-payments, it just puts you, the patient, in charge of where some of the money goes.)

  The idea that Americans should pay more than others for the same medication absolutely has to go.  If drug companies want to challenge the Vice President of the United States of America on this - so be it, I will be ready.

  The US Military’s program of evaluating the effectiveness of generic verses name brand drugs should be continued - it should be expanded - it should be published. Americans deserve the most effective medications available - at the lowest prices available.

Implementation of these ideas will not cure everything.  But it will put the money, the information, and the medication in the hands of Americans.  Americans will make the wisest decisions and that will Make America Better.

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