|
Medicine has come a long way since I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1969. In my medical opinion, Medicare needs surgery.
Since its inception in 1965, Medicare hasn't changed much. Our current Medicare system is to health coverage what the horse and buggy is to transportation. The Medicare bill of 2003 modernizes the system to recognize today's advances in preventive care.
Medicare will pay for heart surgery, cancer treatment or long-term care after a stroke, but it won't help seniors pay for the drugs that will ward off those illnesses and the massive costs that accompany them.
The $400 billion price tag attached to this bill makes some fiscal conservatives gasp. My experience as a doctor, however, leads me to believe that some of that cost will be offset by the savings from cheaper, more effective preventive care. After President Bush signs this legislation, prescription drug price relief will follow quickly.
Starting in 2004, seniors will receive a drug discount card that will immediately reduce the price of drugs 15 to 25 percent. Group purchasing power through the senior's health care plans will force the price of drugs down even further.
Our neediest seniors will benefit the most when the program takes full effect. The monthly premium and annual deductible won't apply to seniors living at or near the poverty level. The days of foregoing, rationing and splitting pills should end.
We're not creating a new entitlement. We're improving an existing one.
Part of that improvement includes provisions to render Medicare more competitive, to cut costs and to preserve the program for future generations. This modernization comes none too soon as the retirement of the Baby Boom generation looms like a giant IOU on the horizon. For the first time, seniors will get a choice in their health coverage. Seniors can select the plan that best fits their needs. Retiring workers will be accustomed to this since many had a range of insurance options offered to them by their employer over the years.
Instead of a one-size-fits- all, fee for service system, seniors will have incentives to shop smart, take care of themselves and save themselves (and the taxpayers) money. That should warm the hearts of conservatives concerned about exploding costs. As I toured my district talking to seniors this summer, I heard two recurring themes. First, those in need said "give us relief now!" Those with current private coverage said, "Don't mess with a good thing."
This bill will please both viewpoints. It contains subsidies and tax breaks for employers to encourage them to continue offering retiree coverage, as well as provide for those with no current coverage. Saturday morning, just before sunrise, the Medicare bill passed the house after three hours of drama. It was one of my proudest moments in public service. This legislation will have a dramatic impact on seniors, giving them happier, healthier, longer lives. At the same time, we're making the needed modernizations to keep Medicare afloat for our children and grandchildren. That's compassionate conservatism at its best. | 
