Bush tax cut "will halt Medicare Rx benefit"

Implementation of US President George W Bush's $1,600 billion tax cutwill prevent Congress passing a meaningful Medicare seniors' prescription drug benefit, warns a report by the Democrat policy panel.

Many Democrats felt that the March 8 vote on the tax cut was pushed through too quickly with insuficient debate, reports Reuters. Senator Edward Kennedy, speaking at the launch of the Committee report, said the vote had been about "whether we are going to have a prescription drug benefit or not," while the chairman of the Democratic Policy Council, Senator Byron Dorgen, felt the tax cut "crowds out Medicare prescription drugs and other important priorities."

Meantime, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has been vigorously promoting Pres Bush's interim Immediate Helping Hand prescription drug proposal (Marketletter March 12), stating that Medicare no longer meets the needs of seniors.