Health Advisory: Drug Benefit, HCFA Reform Tops Congressional Health Agenda
3/1/2001
This advisory discusses the ensuing Congressional battle over the place of prescription drugs in the Medicare program. President Bush is expected to propose an immediate state block-grant program to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries afford prescription drugs. Meanwhile, Senators John Breaux (D-LA) and Bill Frist (R-TN) reintroduced two bills to reform the Medicare program and add a drug benefit to it. President Bush's budget blueprint also lays out spending priorities for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); while the proposal recommends increasing overall funding by 2.8 billion, Democrats are critical of the package, claiming the Medicare program will be bankrupt by 2009 under the Bush plan. Bush and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson also pledge to reform management of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
