The Presidents new Medicare plan is such a piece of crap he is now asking insurance carriers to “cover” the millions that are being left uncovered. I won't bore you with the details which can be read here. Several states have declared public health emergencies, and have had to step in to see that the elderly get the medicines they need and had been taking prior to the new Medicare changes. ...“ In California, officials estimate that 200,000 of the state's 1.1 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries had trouble getting their medications. “
The Bush administration touted this new plan as a way for seniors to save money over the old plan. However there is no language in the new coverage that expressly require savings. It's all left to the corporate decision makers that actually run the program. The plan does not allow for bidding to assure the lowest prices for participants. Senator Kennedy wanted bulk buying savings to be passed to the consumer, but with Bush's blessing the legislation was stricken of any such language. Thomas Scully, the main Bush negotiator, within a week of passing the legislation joined a health care lobbying firm as well as an investment company.

Richard S. Foster, chief actuary for the Medicare program, testified March 24 before the House Ways and Means Committee about the manner in which officials of the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pressured him to withhold information from Congress concerning the likely cost of the prescription drug benefit that is the centerpiece of the Medicare “reform” bill passed by Congress last fall.

The amount of info on this program is to great for my brain to follow anymore. The GOP are a great bunch of people. When is comes to chicanery of all types , the person in the administration who is usually behind it is none other than our friend Darth Cheney.