Democrats make pitch to seniors, offer Medicare changes

[papau]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0602160212feb16,1,5268099.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Democrats make pitch to seniors, offer Medicare changes

By Matthew Chayes
Washington Bureau
Published February 16, 2006


WASHINGTON -- <snip>The Democratic proposals would bar insurance companies from eliminating drugs from patients' coverage once they had selected a specific plan and from raising the cost of the drugs in midyear. It would also set up a uniform process to tell beneficiaries when their drugs wouldn't be covered and it would mandate that Medicare guarantee payment for up to 60 days when the pharmacist can't verify whether a patient is enrolled in a plan.<snip>

Durbin said Democrats are looking for a Senate bill to which they can attach their proposals.

<snip>

Instead of changing the system, as Democrats proposed Wednesday, Bush said he wants the system to work through its growing pains.<snip>

[marmar]

1. They need to...

Democrats need to be at senior centers every day talking about BushCo's disastrous prescription benefit plan and a better plan for it. There's a voting block that you know will turn out at the polls, and I'm sure they're none to pleased with the Repiglicans right now.