DeLay: Dems March to Mislead Seniors on Medicare; Democrats Playing Ghoulish Games

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

DeLay: Dems March to Mislead Seniors on Medicare; Democrats Playing Ghoulish Games With Life & Death

2/13/04 8:12:00 PM

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To: National Desk

Contact: Stuart Roy or Jonathan Grella, 202-225-4000, both of the Office of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today decried a Democrat campaign designed to mislead seniors about the recently enacted Medicare prescription drug plan. House Democrat leaders have armed their members with a ready-to-use Microsoft PowerPoint presentation designed to deceive and frighten American seniors, millions of whom are relying on the new program to afford their medication.

"The Democrats are playing games with seniors' lives," DeLay said. "Trying to censor public information about Medicare's new prescription drug coverage, while financing a campaign of deceit to frighten seniors about their coverage is hypocrisy at its most dangerous.

"This is constituent service at its worst," DeLay said.

Below are only some of the intentional inaccuracies contained in congressional Democrats' prepared presentations to seniors for the President's Day recess:

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Lie: "Not Voluntary"

Truth: Every senior has the right to choose from a range of new options or stay in their current Medicare program.

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Lie: "Seniors cannot leverage purchasing power to get lower prices."

Truth: Seniors will enjoy 20-25 percent lower drug costs by leveraging their group purchasing power. The Congressional Budget Office stated that the new law does more to lower drug costs than any other proposal.

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Lie: "No public scrutiny of drug company/insurer kickback arrangement."

Truth: Our bill contains transparency requirements. The Health & Human Services secretary can disapprove plans with excessive cost to seniors.

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Lie: "2.7 million retirees will lose their drug coverage"

Truth: The new law will reverse the increasing rate of employers dropping retiree coverage. The Employers' Coalition on Medicare said "the conference agreement will help strengthen the retiree health care system and begin to shape Medicare's future for generations to come."

In December, President Bush signed a bipartisan bill to strengthen and secure Medicare with competitive reforms and a prescription drug benefit for all seniors. Seniors will receive their prescription drug card this summer.

[MEG33]

We are in for another season of "Republicans throw granny down the stairs".

[visualops]

I saw a good advertisement on TV in the last week or two, explaining some of the new stuff with the Medicare plan. They need to show it more often.

[Lawgvr1955]

Last presidential election, my now deceased father was the only one in the family voting for Gore. When I queried him about it he said he did it because Bush was going to cut off Social Security.

I am still angry about this and the Democrat party (to which my family belonged to for generations until it became the party of abortion)is wasting time and money reaching out to me and mine.

Gore got one thing for scaring my father...a committed conservative who is actively working to keep his kind out of office.

[MEG33]

This is just outrageous.The dems have been doing this every election.It looks like people would learn,but some always believe it.The elderly are the most vulnerable,of course.