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Show The Salt Lake Tribune NATION , June 14, 2000 Clinton Says GOP Drug Plan Will Hurt Elderly Comments up the stakes on election-year issue ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President Clinton said a Republican-backed health care plan “claims to help everybody but is a false hope for most,” as the White House and congressional Republican ,/ ited dueling programs to he. der Americans pay for medication. House Republicans provided more details Tuesday of a proposal they announced earlier this year that would enlist private insurers to sell government-subsidized and -approved prescription drug poli- cies to Medicare beneficiaries. “We believe the private sector can do a greatjob,” said Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif. the leading architect of the GOP plan. Testifying at a hearing on com- peting drug proposals,held by the House Ways and Means Committee, Thomas said-theWhite House criticism is politically motivated and inaccurate. “The comments that are being made are an attempt to drive a wedge,” he said, noting that two Democrats, Reps. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Ralph Hall, D-Texas, have stepped up to endorse the GOPplan. Clinton noted bipartisan support for an expansion of Medicare to cover the cost of prescription drugs, butsaid only his plan offers the elderly an honestdeal. Adding the coverage is a popular election-year issue. Clinton and fellow Democrats claim the GOPplan wouldhelp too few people, while Republicans claim the White House plan is too expensive. “Tfwe were in deficit and trying to do this, I would understand why we would say,‘Well,we can't help everybody so we'll just help a few.’ ” Clintonsaid. “Butthat’s not the situation. We can afford to do this right, and we mustnotpass a plan thatclaims to offer something to everybody and is a false hope to most and there- fore inadequate.” Thomas said the GOP plan has several features to ensure it would provide help paying for drugs to all seniorcitizens. First, he said the government wouldpay insurers 30 percent to 35 percent subsidies to ensure that newdrug policies are affordable to all — not just retirees with the lowest incomes, whose drug insurance premiums would be paid for directly by Medicare under the GOP P plan. Thomas also said that the government would act as the “insurer of _last_resort.” if private plans failed to step up to offer adequate coverage across the country. Clinton proposes a standard drug benefit under Medicare, which would: be available to all elderly and disabled people who use the federal program. Those who opted for the drug coverage would pay a monthly premium,starting at $26, and a 50 percent co-payment toward their prescriptions. Clinton said the competing Re- publican plan relies in part on an idea that has already failed — socalled “Medigap” coverage already offered by someprivate insurers to cover the cost of drugs. Danforth Withdraws His Namé As Possible Bush Running Mate THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. LOUIS —Former Sen. John i Recentrej placed on a short list of vice presidential prospects for Bush, the Re- potential running mates for George W. Bush, the former senator’s office said Cheney, who heads Bush’s vice presidential search team, last week abouthis decision. for vice ee was “very He said he made up his af after mulling it ter waking up in the middle of the over for two weeks,he said he and ~ night with the memory ofa visitby his wife, Sally, decided they didn’t then-Secretary of State wantto give up living in Missouri Shultz when Danforth we was in the and their close contact with family Senate. here. : “There were a couple apis “We didn’t want politics to totally define who we were,” Dan- back yard in the dark, and Fre forth said. membered that,” Danforth a Danforth is now the special “It’s the fact that if you do counsel overseeing an investiga- {high-level of a] job, it crowds 9 ‘ tion in the Waco standoffand fire. everything else in your life.” In a newspaper interview, Danforth had said the idea of running Service people standing in bur SHOP WEDNESDAY8 AM-10 PM* — BRING IN YOUR BONUS COUrONS FOR EXTRA SAVINGS STOREWIDE| a aindead eeeee ~aia“weetuapeas: - ee = Satta) Nisley.NG IS SUNDAY, BLO] aa) ; STOREWIDE BONU COUPON serrere mate 109 aM REMEMBER TO BRING THIS BONUS COUPON WHEN YOU SHOP, SR ee eke Le ~~ Reegukir and original prices are offering prices only and may or may not have resulted in COLLECTIBLE GUND* WISH BEAR JUST 9.99 WITH ANY *25 PURCHASE /CMI Extra savings % applied to reduced prices. Prices shown as “only” will remain in _affor this event. Advertised merchandise may be offered again in upcoming sale events. Sale ends June 29 ORDER ANYTIME: TOLL FREE 1-800-452-6323. A DIVISION OF MAY DEPARTMENTSTORES } a |
