US President George W Bush has told a group of Senators who are leadingbipartisan moves to reform Medicare that he wants this to go through this year.
Previously, Pres Bush had indicated that he felt this reform should be dealt with later in his administration, with stop-gap measures such as the Immediate Helping Hand prescription drug assistance plan for seniors (see page 13) introduced for the most pressing needs. However, he told the Senators, who included John Breaux and Bill Frist, that he wanted the work completed this year, with the 1999 task force's proposed reform used as the framework for a bipartisan consensus.
Associated Press reports note White House aides as saying that Pres Bush has been pleasantly surprised at moves in Congress for more comprehensive reform of Medicare, despite the lack of enthusiasm for his short-term drug plan. After the meeting with the President, Sen Breaux said that, "when it's all said and done, we're going to have universal coverage of prescription drugs and modernization of Medicare as our end result."
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