As with social security, Medicare reform must be guided by clear tenets. Medicare must be preserved as an entitlement for all who qualify. Seniors on Medicare should have access to the latest medical technology. Medicare must offer comprehensive coverage for low-income seniors, including prescription drugs. And any reform must ensure the solvency of Medicare.
Seniors deserve a wider scope of coverage, and they deserve to have more choices among health plans.
Over the last few years, both Republicans and Democrats have embraced these goals. When I am president, I will lead Republicans and Democrats to reform and strengthen Medicare and set it on firm financial ground. Prescription drugs are becoming the treatment of choice. Drugs are often more cost-effective than surgery or hospitalization, with fewer risks and better results. And the picture gets better year by year.