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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... 1999
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| FEBRUARY
24, 1999 7:17 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Senator Paul Wellstone Jim Farrell 202/224-1472 Jennifer Crider 202/225-3106 |
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| New Report Condemns Bipartisan Commission's Failed Plan For Medicare | ||||
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PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 What: National Release of Report by the National Campaign "Rebuilding Medicare for the 21st Century: A Challenge to the Medicare Commission and Congress" Where: Washington, D.C. At U.S. Capitol, House Side, Room HC-7 When: 12:00 noon, Thursday, February 25 Who: Rep. Jim McDermott, (D-Washington) Member of the Medicare Commission Senator Paul Wellstone, (D-Minn.) Emcee Steve Protulis, National Council of Senior Citizens Edie Rasell, Ph.D., Economic Policy Institute Plus, Senior Citizens with Medicare stories to tell. WASHINGTON - February 24 - The "premium support" plan, favored by the majority of members of The National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, will fail to guarantee the fiscal solvency of Medicare. So concludes the report "Rebuilding Medicare for the 21st Century: A Challenge for the Medicare Commission and Congress." The "premium support" plan is based on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEBHP), which relies on competition among private health plans to control costs. Over the past 5 years, annual growth in FEHBP costs has increased, while annual growth in Medicare costs has dropped markedly. "It makes no sense to abandon the public Medicare program, whose costs are coming under control, and to substitute a private marketplace like FEHBP, whose costs are growing, " says Dr. Thomas Bodenheimer, lead author of "Rebuilding Medicare for the 21st Century." The National Campaign to Protect, Improve and Expand Medicare will release Thursday a major report critical of policies promoted by Senator John Breaux, Chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. The report release is simultaneous at press conferences in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. ### |
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