Issues: Rural Health Care

In 2003, President Bush signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. The bipartisan Medicare agreement represents a significant step towards improving Medicare and providing affordable prescription drug coverage for seniors. Beginning in 2006, for the first time in the history of Medicare, 730,000 beneficiaries in Arizona will have access to a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Arizona seniors will be able to cut their drug costs by up to 77 percent, for a monthly premium of $35. While this program is being implemented, Arizona seniors are eligible to receive prescription drug cards that provide immediate savings of 10 to 25 percent.

The Medicare modernization package also provides extensive funding for disease management, initial physicals, and cholesterol screenings. Medicare now offers pharmacy therapy and care management for beneficiaries with chronic conditions, as well as a corrected formula for cancer care reimbursement. A rural relief package was included to ease the burden of underpaid rural hospitals, physicians, and home healthcare providers.

Since 1983, rural hospitals have received a lower Medicare reimbursement rate than urban hospitals, unfairly harming rural healthcare providers and patients. As a result of the Medicare modernization legislation, the rural reimbursement rate will be adjusted to ensure that rural Arizonans receive the same care as anyone in the country. Importantly, the plan also includes an incentive program for private employers, including a subsidy equaling 28 percent of a retiree's drug costs, to ensure that retirees are not dropped from their current health plans.

I voted for this legislation because I believe Medicare had not kept pace with medical advances and the changing health care needs of the senior population. America's seniors are entitled to an affordable health care program that provides the highest-quality service combined with flexibility to meet the changing needs of an aging population. I assure you that I will continue to represent your interests in Washington and support measures that will guarantee affordable and high-quality medical coverage for our nation's "Greatest Generation".

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