US Senate slams Bush Medicare Rx plan

While US President George Bush's nominee for Secretary of Health andHuman Services, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, was welcomed at his confirmation hearing by the Senate Finance Committee, both Republican and Democrat members of the Committee criticized the new administration's plans for Medicare, reports Reuters Health.

One Bush proposal, to provide states with funds to help only low-income Medicare recipients with high prescription drug costs, was "ill-advised and ill-conceived" and is opposed by many Members of Congress and state governors, noted Democrat John Breaux.

Gov Thompson replied that he and President Bush would be "ecstatic" if Congress were to agree speedily on broad Medicare reforms which included prescription drug coverage, but they were determined to send this plan to Congress. The new President "wants to make sure that if nothing else passed, low-income people will be able to get prescription drugs," he said.