Medicare Ad Riles Bush Critics
Excerpt:
In December, President Bush signed a sweeping Medicare reform bill that, starting in 2006, adds a prescription drug benefit to the government insurance program. Beginning this summer, seniors can obtain a discount card for purchasing prescription drugs. The White House estimates the new law will cost $534 billion over ten years.
In the television ad, a senior asks, "So how is Medicare changing?"
"It’s the same Medicare you’ve always counted on, plus more benefits like prescription drug coverage," an announcer replies. The ad goes on to tell seniors "You can always keep your same Medicare coverage" and "You can save with Medicare drug discount cards this June. And save more with prescription drug coverage in 2006."
The ad tells viewers that more information is available at 1-800-Medicare. A print ad delivers much the same message.
Neither ad mentions the role of President Bush or Congress is developing the new drug benefit. But the Democrats who wrote Thomspon — including Ways and Means Committee ranking minority member Rep. Charles Rangel of New York — complain that the ad misleads when it says "It's the same Medicare."
It is the same Medicare. If some wants to stay in the traditional fee-for-service, and not buy into a prescription drug plan, nothing changes. The changes are in the new options for alternatives means of coverage. The intent is to, hopefully, get folks to shift away from the fee-for-service option, which is the most costly means of Medicare service.
The ad is accurate. Rangel is a shameless partisan hack.