Medicare, which provides health care to America s elderly and disabled, is a case in point. When the baby boomers retire, Medicare rolls are expected to nearly double, further straining an ailing system. Nevertheless, many politicians want to expand Medicare to include prescription drugs. Adding prescription drugs to the roster of Medicare-covered service will bankrupt Medicare sooner while providing worse coverage than is currently available through the private sector.
Most seniors already have drug coverage and can afford their medicines now.
65 percent of senior citizens have insurance coverage for outpatient prescription medicines. In a 1997 government survey, only 2 percent of people over 65 said they had difficulty obtaining prescription drugs. Medicare faces a looming financial crisis. Real Medicare reform should give seniors more choices - not more government. After paying into the system for over three decades, they should be able to use Medicare s limited funds to select the type of coverage that is right for their individual circumstances, including coverage for prescription drug costs.