Dean Responds to Continued Distortions of His Medicare Position

[dajabr]

MANCHESTER, NH--Governor Dean made the following statement today:

"I am disappointed that some of the other candidates in this race continue to distort my position on Medicare. I have dedicated my life to healthcare and have actually delivered it to thousands of seniors with my own hands. Because I am a doctor, I know better than any of the other candidates how much seniors count on this vital program. No one should question my commitment to Medicare.

"Let me be very clear about my position - under a Dean Administration, cuts to Medicare are off the table. Cutting Medicare is not an option. Under a Dean Administration, Medicare will not only be preserved, it will be strengthened.

"My opponents, unfortunately, continue to mislead Iowa's seniors about my position on this issue. I suspect this is because they would rather attack me than talk about why, with a combined three-quarters of a century in Washington, D.C., they have almost nothing to show for improving access to or quality of healthcare. One clear example of this is that Washington politicians have been talking about a prescription drug benefit under Medicare since Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and two decades later America's seniors are still asking for their prescription drug benefit.

"While they were in Washington talking about healthcare, I was in Vermont actually providing it. As Governor, I delivered a prescription drug benefit for my state, and more than one-third of Vermont seniors on Medicare now receive state help to pay for their prescription drugs. America needs someone in the White House who has a record of getting things done.

"I hope this clears this issue up because it's time to stop arguing about what people said a decade ago and start talking about turning this country around. The 36,000 Iowans who lost their jobs under President Bush deserve to hear what we're going to do to put them back to work and the 455,000 Iowa seniors who still do not have a prescription drug benefit deserve to hear what we're going to do about it."

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001919.html

[BayCityProgressive]

1. Actually,

I haven't been Dean's biggest fan but he is growing on me. If he stays center-left through the election I would be happy with him.

[molly]

2. I am now working with an MBA whose mother is early stage

alzheimers. Her total income is 1500 per month. He spends hundreds every month on her meds. She would need an income of 8,000/yr to get prescriptions drug care now. Please explain how any Dean plan would help her.

[dajabr]

4. 1)Permitting Import of Prescription Drugs from Canada

2)Closing Loopholes That Allow Brand Drug Companies to Extend Their Monopolies

3)Using Preferred Drug Lists to Save Prescription Drug Dollars

4)Allowing States Wide Latitude to Experiment in Ways of Controlling Drug Costs

5)Limitations on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Drugs

6)Disclosure of Gifts to Physicians

More: http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_health_prescriptiondrugs

[KaraokeKarlton]

5. If she lived in Vermont she would already have a drug benefit

She would only be paying a few dollars for each prescription, if that much. Vermont has the best social service programs in the country. A few other states are almost as good, but Vermont takes damn good care of people in need and especially when it comes to health care.

[dajabr]

7. Dean's Vermont Record...

Very true Double K...

“We can provide higher quality of life by avoiding institutional services whenever possible.”

Prescription Drugs — Governor Dean understands the importance of access to prescription drugs in preserving health and avoiding unnecessary institutional care of our seniors and people with disabilities. While in office Governor Dean expanded pharmaceutical assistance to these Vermonters. Vermont has three pharmacy assistance programs with the level of benefits for each program indexed to household income. Seniors and people with disabilities can have incomes up to 225% of the federal poverty line and receive assistance with their prescriptions.

Nursing Homes — Governor Dean decreased the state’s reliance on nursing homes by mandating that funds be shifted from nursing homes to other services, such as home health care where people can live with independence and dignity. Over $30 million dollars has been shifted from paying for nursing homes to paying for in-home and community based services.

Home Health Care — Between 1996 and 2000, there was a 161.3% increase in individuals receiving a home-based waiver and services, while there was a decrease of 13.5% in individuals living in nursing homes.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_record_health_elderly

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[madfloridian]

3. Ask Kerry and Gep why they have allowed Medicare to be cut 17%

They keep talking about Dean.....what have they done? Payments by Medicare patients are going up 13% this year, same as last year. Payments to doctors are being CUT.....by 2005 will be cut by 17%!!!!

Payments for some cancer drugs will be cut by January. All kinds of cuts are being made.

I want to know exactly what Kerry and Gephardt are doing to save it.

[sandnsea]

6. They're going to kill the Republican Congress

What the hell do you expect? That's not even an argument.

[Upfront]

9. Speak Out

I would expext them to speak out in the United States Sen. about this issue, have they?

[sandnsea]

10. yes

And if you don't know it, YOU haven't been paying attention. No, no linky. Don't speak out yourself if you haven't taken the time to learn what our Senators have been doing.

[polpilot]

12. They have been very busy being INEFFECTIVE REPS and that's why

Dean has cooked them.

Dean '04...The New Democratic Leader of The NEW Democratic Party.

[paulk]

13. It's hard to be effective when you're in the minority

and after Dean has "cooked" them, I'm sure those "ineffective reps" will fall all over themselves to get eaten.

ps - what the hell does "The New Democratic Leader of The NEW Democratic Party" mean? Are we electing a new slate of people to office? If this is the rhetoric the Dean campaign is selling you, it's emptier than your post.

[sandnsea]

11. Limit the growth

Which ends up as a cut. Or an increase in the amount Medicare patients have to pay to get health care, which means they're back to eating cat food in order to live like they were in the 70's.

"We're going to have to limit the growth of entitlement programs. We don't have to cut," the former governor of Vermont said during the taping of "Iowa Press" on Friday at Iowa Public Television."

"Reducing Medicare's rate of growth doesn't necessarily mean cuts in benefits, said AARP government affairs director Mike Naylor. Options include lowering the rate for the Medicare tax, increasing premiums or co-payments, and cutting reimbursement to providers."

http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22538134.html