In Medicare Debate, Massaging the Facts
“It’s saving lives, and it’s saving money,” Representative Phil Gingrey, Republican of Georgia, said last week at a rally on Capitol Hill, celebrating “the unprecedented success of Medicare Part D.”
Senator Jim Talent, Republican of Missouri, said many constituents had told him, “This is a godsend.”
Democrats say that the benefit is skimpy, that the administration mismanaged its rollout and that many beneficiaries have been tormented by “computer glitches.”
“The White House botched the implementation of the prescription drug plan,” said the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada. “Millions of seniors were unable to navigate the confusing sign-up process.”
On April 20, the administration issued a news release saying, “30 Million Medicare beneficiaries Now Receiving prescription drug coverage.” On May 10, it announced, “37 Million Medicare beneficiaries Now Receiving prescription drug coverage.”
Likewise, on May 10, the White House said, “Of the more than 42 million people eligible for Medicare, more than 31 million people with Medicare now have Part D-related prescription drug coverage.”
The House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, has urged Democrats to hold town meetings and other events to “keep up the drumbeat” against the program, which she has decried as “this disastrous Republican Medicare drug plan.”
In a typical letter to House Democrats, Ms. Pelosi said the law had been “written by special interests” ? pharmaceutical and insurance companies ? and had done “nothing to bring down soaring drug costs.” Her criticism reinforces a Democratic campaign theme: that “a Republican culture of corruption has infected our government.”
But Michael Franc, vice president at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said: “Republicans are having to invest a huge amount of time, energy and resources to get credit for creation of a new entitlement. In the abstract, you’d think that seniors would have held parades in their honor.”
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