Addressing Help for America’s Seniors

On January 31, 2006, President George W. Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address.  In the hour long speech, the President made only one direct comment about senior citizens, saying, “Our government has a responsibility to provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility.”  The implications of this statement reinforce an active health care policy that is currently successful in aiding the elderly.  Unfortunately, the current policy known as Medicare Part D, has produced a variety of problems and complications for America’s senior citizens since it came into effect at the beginning of this year.

To confront the problems created by Medicare Part D, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging convened on February 2, 2006 (just two days after the State of the Union) on the topic of, “Meeting the Challenges of Medicare Drug Benefit Implementation.”  During the hearing, Chairman Gordon Smith (R-OR) declared that he will continue to use his committee’s oversight powers to ensure the protection of the interests of seniors.  This hearing has not only confirmed and confronted obvious roadblocks in the Part D system, but is also indicative of a step in the right direction of attempting to meet the needs of seniors as the President deemed necessary. 

Though the President’s State of the Union address lacked specificity as to how senior health care needs would be met, Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, substantiated the solutions for Plan D in his testimony before the Committee on Aging.  In regard to difficulties with Plan D, McClellan reiterated, “We have improved our data system, particularly helping the dual eligible population, have strengthened our 1-800-MEDICARE call centers, instructed plans on ways to better serve both beneficiaries and pharmacists, and have dedicated greater CMS resources to addressing pharmacists’ needs and enrollee concerns.”  The committee hearing, composed of three panels featuring Medicare experts like McClennan, Medicare Part D beneficiaries, pharmacists, insurance representatives, and representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, aimed to commence the process of making improvements and amendments to Part D.

Expediting the process of making improvements to Part D is vital for the health and well being of America’s aging population.  Seniors not only need affordable prescription drugs, but as beneficiaries they need a prescription drug benefit program that is comprehensive and comprehensible.  Although the first month was incredibly rocky for the Medicare Part D program, its ultimate success or failure will be determined by the executive and legislative branches response to the impediments that America’s seniors are facing.  Since the state of senior healthcare is in the hands of lawmakers, it is imperative that they are held accountable to insuring the validity of such programs that they have instituted.  In his State of the Union address, the President acknowledged the government’s responsibility to provide health care for the elderly.  The implementation of Medicare Part D will be a true test of the government’s commitment to this responsibility.

February 2006

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