Perspective               

"Citizens for Better Medicare" Helps Drug Companies, Not Older and Disabled Americans

Have you heard or seen Flo talking about ways to fix Medicare?

Before youbuy into her plan, they should ask a simple question: "Who is Flo?"

Put simply, Flo is a fraud.

Flo is the spokesperson for the pharmaceutical industry masquerading as Citizens for Better Medicare. Not surprisingly, she does not want to expand the Medicare we have now to include prescription drug coverage. She has a different plan that destroys Medicare but makes the drug companies happy.

The drug companies want to persuade Congress to turn Medicare into a voucher program that limits yourchoice of doctors and hospitals, and when and where you can get their care, and makes you pay more than they should for their medications.

Medicare currently does not cover prescription drugs. Without this coverage, the pharmaceutical industry has been taking advantage of older and disabled Americans, charging them twice as much for their prescriptions than anyone else. In fact, older and disabled Americans subsidize drug costs for people under 65 in this country and for people in other industrialized countries.

The drug companies want a voucher system that gives people with Medicare stipends to buy the health plan of their "choice." Some of these health plans would have limited prescription drug coverage. But under this system, there would be no limits on insurance company premiums and no guarantees of good, affordable benefits. This means that millions of older and disabled Americans may not be able to afford the care they need.

Older and disabled Americans want security. We want to know that we can get care when we need it, in sickness and in health. We want to be able to afford medical care from the doctors and hospitals of our choice. We want the security and stability that Medicare offers us now.

If you want to keep the Medicare you have, call your Senator or Congressperson. Tell them just to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare now and that their quote unquote reform proposal destroys Medicare. Don't mess with the Medicare program Americans know, value, and depend upon.

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