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Reed, Stephen Writing 39C Austin May 16, 2003 Is there a need for Medicare Reform? The Medicare program is facing a serious crisis because it does not adequately cover patients for prescription drug costs, preventative health care and hospital stays. Without something being done to correctly address this issue, many elderly Americans will suffer higher premiums while their quality of care will diminish. There has been some discussion concerning the current problem. In President Bush’s speech on January 28, 2003, he addresses Medicare reform by saying, "[s]eniors who want more coverage will be able to choose an enhanced form of Medicare. This option will include full coverage for preventative care, a comprehensive prescription drug benefit, protection against high out of pocket costs, and extra help for low income seniors to be able to get the drug benefits"(Charatan). Supporters of this healthcare package feel that it will finally give seniors the healthcare benefits that they need while providing them with prescription drug coverage. Opponents of this healthcare package feel that the structure of the bill will privatize Medicare and ultimately lead to higher premiums in Medicare. Despite one’s views, one must ask how the Medicare program became this way. What has triggered the present state of Medicare both directly and indirectly? Many economists and doctors agree that the cost of medical health care is increasing faster than our economy can support it because the economy has suffered tremendous budget cuts while the cost of healthcare has increased dramatically, and will get worse as the elderly population continues to rise. The Medicare budget cuts over the years have contributed to the problem because the government does not sufficiently supply the program with the funding it needs to serve its beneficiaries. The Balance Budget Act of 1997 was implemented to reduce the cost of medical bills and tried to hinder medical inflation.
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