SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS MISSTATEMENT OF THE DAY RETIREES LOSING CURRENT PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE
October 30, 2003
OCTOBER 30, 2003
SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S MISSTATEMENT OF THE DAY -
RETIREES LOSING CURRENT
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGEWASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) issued today's "Bush Administration's Misstatement of the Day" on retirees losing current prescription drug coverage.
SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S MISSTATEMENT OF THE DAY -
RETIREES LOSING CURRENT
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGEWASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) issued today's "Bush Administration's Misstatement of the Day" on retirees losing current prescription drug coverage.
During a speech at the White House on prescription drugs, President Bush said:
"If there's a Medicare reform bill signed by me, corporations have no intention to . . . dump retirees into a system they don't want to be dumped into." (Chicago Tribune, 10/30/03)
But according to the San Francisco Chronicle (10/18/03):
".one-third of retirees will lose their current drug coverage if Medicare provides a drug benefit. The Congressional Budget Office estimated a Medicare drug benefit will crowd out private coverage for 4 million retirees."Schakowsky said, "Our mission should be to do no harm, but under the Republican prescription drug bill, 32 percent of retirees with employer-sponsored insurance would lose that coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office."
Schakowsky added that 12 million retirees would be worse off if Congress passes H.R. 1, the Medicare prescription drug bill. Earlier this month, she offered a motion to instruct House negotiators on H.R. 1 to guarantee that seniors do not lose their employer retiree coverage. The House, largely on a party line vote, failed to approve Schakowsky's motion.