    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [June 17, 2005]
    [Pages 1007-1016]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Discussion on Implementing the Medicare Modernization Act
    in Maple Grove, Minnesota
    June 17, 2005

        The President. Thanks for the warm welcome. Thanks for the warm day
    too. [Laughter] It's good to be back in the great State of Minnesota.
    Thanks for coming. I think you're going to find this to be an
    interesting discussion we're about to have about Medicare. We're here to
    say to the seniors who live here in Minnesota and around the country
    that Medicare has been strengthened, reformed, and modernized, and we
    hope you take a look at it--the new program, because it's going to
    benefit a lot of people.
        So what you're about to see is Government in the process of
    educating folks about what's available, and I want to thank my fellow
    panelists for being here. I think you're going to find this to be an
    interesting discussion.
        Before I begin, I just want you to know that Laura sends her best. She's doing great, working on some new
    comedy material. [Laughter] But I'm really proud of her, and she and I
    are having the times of our life representing the United States of
    America, and I'm really lucky to have her by my side.
        I want to thank the Governor for being
    here. Governor, thanks for coming, I'm proud you're here. Thanks for
    serving. We've got the secretary of state here. Mary, thanks for being here. Oh, there she is. Hi, Mary. Thank
    you for coming. We've got the mayor, mayor of Maple Grove. I saw the
    mayor come in. Mayor--there he is. I
    appreciate you being--sitting by your old classmate. Thanks for having
    us. I want to thank all the folks who serve in the statehouse and local
    government. I appreciate you serving your State. I really want to tell
    you to thank your families. It's not easy to be in public office, and
    it's not easy to be in public office if you're a family member. But
    thanks for serving.
        I really want to thank the folks here at Maple Grove for letting us
    come by. It's not easy to host the President. [Laughter] It turns out
    his entourage is quite big these days. [Laughter] But I really want to
    thank you for letting us do this. I think you're going to find this will
    help the seniors who use this fantastic facility. It will help them at
    least understand there's new options available to them when it comes to
    making sure there's a prescription drug benefit available to them.
        I want to thank Mark. I'm going to
    talk a little bit about Mark in a second here,

    [[Page 1008]]

    but I want to thank Rhonda Whitenack, who
    is the Social Security Administration training instructor. I just was
    with Rhonda and some folks who have taken time out of their lives to
    learn what is available in this new program. See, this is a part of a
    grassroots effort to educate people, to explain to people what I'm about
    to explain to you. So, Rhonda, thank you very much. I want to thank Greg
    Chesmore of the Centers of Medicare and
    Medicaid Services, training instructor. [Laughter] His job is to
    instruct people, to educate people. That's his job. He works with Mark.
        I want to thank Lisa Jost, who is the manager
    of this fantastic facility. I want to thank you all for coming. I'm
    tired of thanking people. I appreciate you being here.
        By the way, I met John and Agnes
    Jurek. Where are they, the Jureks? I know they
    were at the airport. I think they came here with us. There they are.
    Thank you all for coming today. These are good folks who have
    volunteered for years in the Minneapolis area. They volunteer at the
    veterans center. See, they're volunteering to make somebody's life
    better. And the reason I've asked them to come and the reason why at the
    airport I thanked them for their volunteer work is if you really want to
    serve our country or your community, volunteer. Take time out of your
    life to help somebody. Teach a child to read. Feed the hungry. Find
    shelter for the homeless, and you will do a huge service to our country.
        See, the greatest strength about--the greatest thing about America
    is the fact that we've got people with such wonderful hearts, that they
    are willing to take time out of their lives, just like John and Agnes. And so John and
    Agnes, thanks for setting such a good example. We're proud you all are
    here.
        So Medicare worked for a lot of folks. But the problem is, medicine
    started to change, and Medicare wouldn't change with it quick enough.
    And I always believed since the Federal Government had made a commitment
    to elders to provide health care, that the health care we provide ought
    to be the best possible health care. In other words, if you're going to
    provide something, you ought to give it the best shot you can, and we
    weren't doing that when it came to Medicare.
        And I'll get you an example about one of the reasons why I became
    involved in this issue and called upon Congress to modernize the
    Medicare system. You know, the Government would pay $28,000 for ulcer
    surgery--I don't know if I got the right number, but it's close to
    that--but not one dime for the prescription drugs that would prevent the
    ulcer surgery from being needed in the first place. Or the Government
    would pay $100,000 for heart surgery but not the $1,000 a year necessary
    to stop the heart surgery from being needed in the first place, and that
    didn't seem to make sense to me. That's an example of what I mean by the
    system was outdated, and it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do.
        I believe those of us in public life have a responsibility to fix
    problems. I saw a problem, and fortunately, members of both political
    parties came together to fix this problem, to modernize Medicare.
        Now, let me tell you what the Medicare--the new Medicare bill means.
    The first thing that happened in the Medicare bill is we--for the first
    time the Federal Government decided to provide help for preventive care.
    In other words, it's a simple concept here. Let's give you a diagnosis
    early, when you sign up for Medicare so that if you've got a problem,
    we'll cure it early before it becomes acute.
        And so there is a Medicare preventive care provision now available
    for seniors. And I urge seniors to take advantage of this part of the
    Medicare program. In other words, get a checkup. When you sign up for
    Medicare, get the free checkup that will make it easier for docs to
    solve your--any long-term health problems you have.

    [[Page 1009]]

    In other words, the sooner you find out what you got, the quicker it can
    be solved. And by the way, that saves taxpayers money. When we can solve
    a problem early, it will save our taxpayers money. And so that's why we
    put preventive care as a part of Medicare. It's called ``Welcome to
    Medicare'' physical. That's what you--that's what you're notified. When
    you sign up, you get ``Welcome to Medicare,'' and then you go take your
    physical, which the Government pays for.
        I hope people are beginning to understand why that makes sense. I
    think it made sense, and I appreciate the Congress putting that part of
    the Medicare Modernization Act.
        Secondly, we provided discount cards for seniors. We said, ``Look,
    if you're somebody relying upon prescription drugs, here's a discount
    card.'' And a lot of seniors saved a lot of money. But what's taken
    place as a result of this law is we're replacing the discount card with
    a new prescription drug benefit as a part of Medicare. And that's what I
    want people to understand, and that's what we're talking about.
        This bill provides seniors with better choices. In other words, I
    like the concept of saying to a senior, ``If you want to sign up for
    this benefit, you can. If you don't want to, that's fine too.'' It's
    voluntary. Secondly, if you want to buy your health care through
    something like Medicare Advantage, we're strengthening Medicare
    Advantage plans for you. In other words, the more choices people have,
    the better off it is in the marketplace. That's what this bill does.
        This bill also will help those of you who are receiving prescription
    drugs from a labor union or corporate America, by helping those entities
    fulfill their responsibility to the contracts they made with you. In
    other words, it recognizes people are going to get their medicines in a
    variety of different ways. And so therefore, the bill strengthened
    options for people. And that's good.
        If you're--on the average, the folks who sign up for this
    prescription drug benefit are going to save $1,300 a year. For the first
    time in Medicare's history, there will be stop-loss, kind of
    catastrophic care. If you're paying--once you pay $3,600 in Medicare for
    prescription drugs, the Government picks up 95 percent of all the costs
    over the $3,600. See, that's important, isn't it? We don't want a system
    where if you're relying upon prescription drugs and your drug costs get
    out of control, it just wipes out a senior. So this is a plan that says
    for folks, ``Sign up. You get a good benefit.'' It will--it's, on
    average, $1,300 worth of savings, plus a stop-loss plan, catastrophic
    care, so that if something goes wrong, the Government steps in after
    $3,600 and pays 95 percent of the costs. It will bring people peace of
    mind, by the way.
        You know, one of the great complaints we heard about not covering
    prescription drugs is that oftentimes, people could get wiped out
    because of high drug bills. And this will give seniors ease of mind.
    That makes sense in a good retirement system.
        Let me talk about--and by the way, what I haven't really referred to
    is what happens to low-income seniors. And this is why we're beginning
    the dialog early. And the reason why we're beginning the dialog early on
    a Medicare plan that becomes available next November is because we want
    low-income seniors to fill out some paperwork to justify their
    participation in the program as a low-income senior. That's really what
    we're doing. That's why we're kind of starting here in June, because the
    plan for low-income seniors is a really good deal. I mean, it's a good
    deal for everybody, but it's a really good deal for low-income seniors.
    After all, the Government is going to pay over 95 percent of all
    pharmaceutical costs for qualified seniors. That makes sense, doesn't
    it? You don't want people choosing between medicine and food. If the
    health care system has modernized, why

    [[Page 1010]]

    not make the modern health care system available for all people, all
    seniors.
        And that's precisely what we're doing. This says, if you qualify,
    and therefore you've got to fill out some paperwork to qualify--
    generally when people hear that the Government is saying, ``Fill out
    some paperwork to qualify,'' it makes people nervous. I think you'll
    find that the forms that the Government has designed to decide whether
    you qualify or not are pretty darn simple, particularly for Government.
    I mean, they are four pages, and therefore, it shouldn't frighten people
    to take a look at these forms.
        But I understand a lot of people who have retired aren't really
    interested in change at all. There's some people who feel that way. And
    therefore, one of the reasons why I've come to this center is to
    encourage caregivers and sons and daughters and community and faith-
    based groups to help seniors understand, one, what's available in the
    new program, and, two, to encourage seniors to fill out the simple,
    four-page form so that they can take advantage of this good deal.
        And it's a good deal. This isn't political talk; this is true. And I
    encourage people to take a look at this program. Just ask the folks that
    have--we're about to ask some folks, by the way, about why this makes
    sense for people to sign up.
        I've come to Minnesota to begin an education process, starting--
    right now the forms are going out, by the way, to help people qualify
    for this prescription drug benefit. Now, all people qualify for it, but
    if you happen to be low-income, you get 95 percent or more of the
    prescription drugs paid for by the Government. Starting October 1st,
    information about all the variety of plans will go out. People will then
    be allowed to start signing up for the new Medicare plan starting
    November the 15th. January 1st, the benefit kicks in. And you have until
    May 15th to sign up so you can get the good deal on the prescription
    drug plans.
        And it takes a while to get this to sink in. We've been having
    Medicare one way for a long period of time, and change isn't easy. So
    you're watching--what you're watching is you're watching the Government
    begin to try to change people's attitudes toward Medicare and to get
    them to take a look at this new benefit.
        Yesterday in Washington, I kicked the deal off with the Secretary of
    Health and Human Services, and one of the things that I was pleased to
    see there at the Johnson building was the number of faith-based groups
    that were there, community-based groups. I just happened to meet some of
    the members of the Salvation Army, by the way, one of the great armies
    of compassion in the world. And so as this advances, and if you're a
    part of a faith-based or community-based program and you're interested
    in serving your community, find out how best you can explain what's
    going on to seniors. It would be a significant contribution, I would
    think, to the welfare of the society in which you live that this is a
    good deal, as to how to convince people to sign up for this good deal.
    This country can do a lot of amazing things when people put their mind
    to it, and this is a call, because by responding to the call, you're
    going to help make somebody's life a lot better.
        Now, Mark McClellan, he's--you've got
    to have a smart guy around you all the time, and he happens to be one.
    He's a Ph.D. Yes, he's got a Ph.D. and a medical degree. Now, for those
    of you who are interested to know how Government works, I want you to
    pay attention to this. See, he's got the Ph.D. and the medical degree,
    and I'm the C student. [Laughter] Notice who's the adviser and who's the
    President. [Laughter]
        Anyway, McClellan is a good man. He's
    from--raised in Texas, Austin, Texas. He is in charge of making sure
    that the Medicare bill we passed is fully implemented

    [[Page 1011]]

    and that people all across the country understand what's available.
    Mark, why don't you add some wisdom here.
        Mark B. McClellan. Well, you've
    already added a lot of wisdom, Mr. President.
        The President. He was wise to say that
    about the President. [Laughter] Go ahead, talk about the implementation
    plan and stuff, so people----
        Dr. McClellan. One of the things that
    I'm spending a lot of time on is going around the country for many of
    the meetings just like this that we're having today to help people find
    out about the new coverage. And there are two big phases in what we're
    doing, just as what the President was talking about.
        Right now we want to make sure people are aware of what's coming.
    There are a lot of people who have Medicare, a lot of family members of
    people with Medicare who don't realize that the Medicare coverage is
    starting on January 1st and that it's available for everybody, no matter
    how they pay for their drugs today.
        And we especially want to start early, as the President said, to
    reach people with limited means. We are providing some very
    comprehensive drug coverage for them. There's no premiums, no or little
    deductibles, and people will pay only a few dollars for their
    prescriptions. And we want to make sure they all take advantage of it.
        This is a real partnership effort, and it's because of organizations
    like the ones we're working with here, like the Social Security
    Administration, like our staff at the Center for the Medicare and
    Medicaid Services all around the country, and many of the
    nongovernmental groups that we're working with, that we think we can
    reach everyone so that they can make a confident decision about the new
    coverage that's coming.
        The President. Yes, I told Mark--I
    said, ``Look, your job is to make sure everybody understands what's
    available. And if I can help, I will.'' And so he's responsible, and his
    agency is responsible for getting the word out. And we're beginning to--
    this is it. This is day two. You're right here in the beginning. I'm
    confident we're going to get significant market penetration when it's
    all said and done. I think people, when it's all said and done, are
    going to understand, but we need your help. In other words, if we rely
    only on the Federal Government to get out the word, it's not going to
    work. The Federal Government can help. We've sent out mailings thus far
    to--what have we done?
        Dr. McClellan. Working with Social
    Security, we've sent out mailings to close to--to millions of
    beneficiaries who are probably going to qualify for this extra help for
    people with limited incomes. And then we're sending out a lot of
    information to people who are helping educate seniors and helping
    educate the family members of seniors about the new coverage that's
    coming.
        So this is a very comprehensive grassroots effort. As we like to
    say, we're trying to reach seniors and the people who care about them--
    where they live, work, pray, and play. And this goes for seniors all
    over the country. It goes for the people with a disability who are on
    Medicare and depend on Medicare for their medical care. And we're
    starting early so that we can reach all of them.
        The President. So in other words, we've had a mailing out--and by
    the way, if you've got a mom or a dad who may have misplaced their
    mailing or you didn't get your mailing, there's an easy way to make sure
    that the information that is coming out of Washington to help you gets
    to you, and that is to call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for the application
    form. If you're a caregiver and you want to get on the Internet,
    medicare.gov will enable you to get these forms, get the information to
    the people. In other words, just because somebody got rid of the
    mailing--didn't open the mail right or lost the mailing, doesn't mean
    you shouldn't get the mailing. It's worthwhile, believe me. This
    information is important information to improving somebody's life.

    [[Page 1012]]

        He talked about--what was that--it was
    kind of an alliterative phrase there--``play, pray, and''----
        Dr. McClellan. Live, work, pray, and
    play, Mr. President.
        The President. ``Live, work, pray, and play,'' good. Well, that's
    what happens here at Maple Grove Community Center, isn't that right,
    Kris? Thank you for having us. Kris is the
    senior--what are you? What do you do?
        Kristine Orluck. Mr. President, I'm the
    senior coordinator here at the Maple Grove Park and Recreation
    Department.
        The President. Good. It's quite a varied facility, isn't it? You
    said you go from pre-K to a senior center.
        Ms. Orluck. That's correct, from
    preschool to teen centers to senior centers.
        The President. Great. And tell me about--you develop--what's your
    job? What do you do?
        Ms. Orluck. What I do here at the
    community center is I'm in charge of developing the senior programs that
    happen around here. So it may be a fitness class. It may be a social
    recreation program, a trip. It may be an educational class, like a
    computer class, or a great decisions discussion group, or it's a
    wellness and health program, where we bring people in to educate them
    about various topics on wellness and health, and Medicare is one of
    those topics that we cover.
        The President. Now, you see why I've asked Kris to come up here. Anybody who's interested in doing
    their duty, working at a senior center, pay attention to what Kris is
    going to tell you. See, she understands if part of the deal is to
    educate people, there's no better subject than a modern Medicare bill
    that's going to help a lot of people with their prescription drugs.
        Kris and I were talking backstage. She
    is all fully prepared to use the time she has allotted with the seniors
    to say, ``Here's what's available.'' Isn't that right?
        Ms. Orluck. That's correct. We're
    currently working with the local Social Security Administration to
    provide education and also opportunities to register, so they'll be able
    to meet one on one with individuals and just come in as a group and hear
    about the changes and how it affects them and their----
        The President. There are a lot of senior centers all across America,
    a whole lot. And part of the effort to educate our seniors is to reach
    out to the senior centers. One of the reasons we used the senior center
    here is to say to folks who have got a senior center in Texas or
    anywhere else, ``Do your duty. Find out what we're talking about, and
    then educate people.'' And I'm confident that when the senior centers
    realize what's available and realize how easy it is to get information
    and how simple it is to pass on the information, that people across the
    country will respond to describe to seniors the new prescription drugs
    and give seniors the option, the choice.
        Listen, all we want to do is pass information so people can make a
    rational choice. If you're a son or a daughter, help your mom and dad
    make rational choice.
        I tried that on my mother, and it didn't
    work. [Laughter] And I bet it wouldn't work on you, right,
    Dorothy?
        Dorothy Bourgeois. It may. [Laughter]
        The President. Dorothy is living here.
    She's retired.
        Ms. Bourgeois. I'm retired for about
    10 years now.
        The President. Are you?
        Ms. Bourgeois. Yes.
        The President. And so you come here to the center?
        Ms. Bourgeois. Oh, I come here to the
    center sometimes, and I do some volunteer work here with Medicare.
        The President. Thanks for volunteering, by the way. How about that
    as an example. You're never too old to volunteer. In her case, you're never too young to volunteer. [Laughter]
        ``Welcome to Medicare'' physical. People understand that yet?

    [[Page 1013]]

        Ms. Bourgeois. I think they're talking
    about it somewhat. And when I--working with the seniors in trying to
    help them to decide what insurance they need and so forth, that's one of
    the things that we cover.
        The President. Yes, you see, the way this is going to work is
    there's going to be a lot of Dorothys around. She's going to take the information that we provide--she's
    going to be the mentor. She's probably got a heck of lot more
    credibility than a lot of other people do with her buddies. And so she's
    going to look at the information, and she's going to sit down and say,
    ``Take a look.''
        And if you want to help, become a Dorothy and explain to these
    people. First of all, you know, the main line of education--or the
    frontline of education is going to be sons and daughters. Do your duty.
    Help your mom and dad. That's what you're supposed to do. They helped
    you. Now you help them. And I think you're going to find you will have
    done a good service.
        Keep rolling. You're on a roll there.
        Ms. Bourgeois. Yes, I've enjoyed it.
    I've been doing it for about 6 years, so I do enjoy doing it.
        The President. Right. And you're beginning to learn of the new
    Medicare plan, I take it?
        Ms. Bourgeois. Yes.
        The President. Yes.
        Ms. Bourgeois. Yes, we're learning a
    lot about it, and we're starting to get questions on it now.
        The President. Yes.
        Ms. Bourgeois. Just recently.
        The President. And therefore, Mark's
    job is to make sure that people like Dorothy have got the answers to the questions. And if not, 1-
    800-MEDICARE or medicare.gov will have the answers.
        Ms. Bourgeois. Yes.
        The President. Are you Internet savvy?
        Ms. Bourgeois. A little bit.
        The President. Yes, probably more than----
        Ms. Bourgeois. Not as much as I'd like
    to be.
        The President. Well, here's a challenge for you. Why don't we set up
    a little computer center here, you know?
        Ms. Bourgeois. She has one.
        The President. Oh, she does have one. [Laughter] So it's not
    her fault. It's yours. [Laughter]
        Ms. Bourgeois. I need a refresher
    course.
        The President. Yes, that's right. [Laughter] I think it's--I think,
    Dorothy, when you analyze the drug
    benefit, it's going to help everybody. You've just got to understand
    that. And it's particularly going to be beneficial for low-income
    seniors.
        You probably think I'm getting a little repetitive here. I have
    found in my line of work, you need to repeat things a lot so people
    listen. [Laughter] And you just keep saying it and saying it and saying
    it so people will take a look. This is an important benefit. This is a
    change--a positive change for Medicare. We've strengthened the system.
    We've modernized the system by making prescription drugs available for
    all seniors in a very cost-effective way but particularly for the lower
    income seniors.
        And one place where there are a lot of seniors that go is to the
    pharmacies. We've asked two folks who work for pharmacies to come and
    visit with us because I want to remind those in the pharmaceutical
    business, the disbursement business, the retail business, that it's to
    your interest to educate people on the drug plan available and that I
    think you have a duty.
        I want Steve Preston--I want to introduce
    Steve Preston.
        First of all, thanks, Dorothy. You did
    a fine job. Unless you got something else to day.
        Ms. Bourgeois. No, I'll let you do the
    talking.
        The President. Okay, thank you. [Laughter] Anyway--[laughter].
        Steve is--fair to say an entrepreneur?
    Small-business guy?

    [[Page 1014]]

        Steven Preston. You could put it that
    way.
        The President. Yes, well, that's good. I happen to think it's a
    positive word.
        Mr. Preston. It is. I love it.
        The President. Yes. Small-business guy. Where do you live?
        Mr. Preston. Duluth, Minnesota. We've
    got----
        The President. Right, spent some quality time there.
        Mr. Preston. ----seven pharmacies there.
        The President. Seven pharmacies. Great. And you--well--speak.
    [Laughter]
        Mr. Preston. Okay. I'm Steve Preston.
    I've been a pharmacist for almost 30 years now. I've got seven
    pharmacies in the Duluth/Superior area. Six of them are retail. One of
    them takes care of nothing but nursing home patients. And----
        The President. Yes, and so you see people come to your counters----
        Mr. Preston. We see them every day.
        The President. Every day.
        Mr. Preston. Every day, yes.
        The President. And I thought you said something very compelling--
    this isn't the first time I met Steve. I saw
    him behind stage. Anyway, it's--you said something very compelling to me
    about watching seniors struggle.
        Mr. Preston. We see them every day
    struggle with the costs and making choices as to how they're taking
    their medicines and skipping days and skipping--not getting their
    prescriptions at all. And it just drives us crazy that we've been at
    this point where we could never do anything to help them other than just
    cut our--to our costs. And so it's going to be wonderful that there's a
    program out there to help all seniors, let alone the ones that need it
    the most.
        The President. Yes, and this is--and so therefore, one of the
    reasons why I've asked Steve to come is that
    I encourage the folks at the pharmacies to get the information in hand
    to distribute to your customers. If you see somebody hurting, this will
    help them not hurt. This is a good deal. And again, I recognize that
    part of the problem we have is to convince people who don't really--some
    people don't want to change. I know that. You know, you kind of get set
    in your ways, and it's just kind of inconvenient to change. But in this
    case, take a look at the change. Take a look at this program because
    it's worthwhile. And as Steve said, I guess you see people having to
    make these tough choices.
        Mr. Preston. Yes, and our pharmacists are
    going to be very knowledgeable as to where to contact and how to get
    enrolled in this program. When the drug discount plan came up, we were
    instrumental in getting a lot of the people that really needed the help
    involved in that program.
        The President. Saved some money.
        Mr. Preston. Including my own father.
        The President. That's good.
        Q. And he----
        The President. By the way, let me stop you on that. ``Including my
    own father,'' I mean, that should be, you know, this is what we expect
    sons to be doing, isn't it, saying, ``Hey, Dad, it's an interesting way
    to make your life better.'' Sons and daughters must participate in
    helping their moms and dads or grandparents understand what's available.
    I mean, this is a chance to do our duty. I'm going to try to handle my
    mother. He handled his father. And so--[laughter]--keep rolling.
        Mr. Preston. And that wasn't always real
    easy with him, because I was sending him his prescriptions anyway, but
    he didn't want me absorbing the cost of them. It bothered him a whole
    lot.
        The President. Yes.
        Mr. Preston. And so when I enrolled him
    in the program, he thinks it's great now. Now he takes everything on
    time. In fact, he calls me now and asks me to make sure I send them
    because he's getting down to a week or two.
        The President. The drug discount card has worked for 6 million
    seniors. Now

    [[Page 1015]]

    there's about 42 million on Medicare. And so you can see the scale of
    work we've got to do. We've got to go from the 6 million to make sure
    this message gets to 42 million. That's why I'm asking for your help.
    That's why I'm asking for Steve's help. I see
    other pharmacists here. I want to thank you all for coming. This is a
    great chance for you, a really good opportunity to take the information
    and lay it out to your customers. I mean, not only will you make sure
    you've got a customer; you'll make sure you've done somebody a good
    service as well.
        Thanks, fine job. Anything else you want to offer?
        Mr. Preston. Not at all.
        The President. You've been a pharmacist for 30 years?
        Mr. Preston. Almost 30.
        The President. Yes, started when you were 12? [Laughter]
        Anyway, Tamera Shumaker.
        Tamera Shumaker. Yes.
        The President. Tamera, what do you do?
        Ms. Shumaker. I work at Walgreen's as a
    pharmacist also.
        The President. Pharmacist, right?
        Ms. Shumaker. That's correct.
        The President. Little competition here. Nothing like a little
    competition to keep the economy going, by the way. [Laughter] But you're
    also a caregiver for your mom, you told me?
        Ms. Shumaker. I am, and that's why I'm
    sitting here. I am 30 years old, and I have a mother that's going to be
    54 in a couple weeks. And she suffers from a mental illness, and so
    medications are a big part of her daily life. And I have been able,
    because there are so many available programs out there, I've been able
    to get her on disability, which is a great program. And with disability,
    she can be eligible for Medicare. And because she doesn't have the
    assets to pay for them, when this new program comes out in January, she
    will be getting her prescriptions free of charge, which is a nice burden
    taken off myself and my brothers and the rest of the family.
        The President. Yes, see, it's interesting. This program is obviously
    for older folks but also for the disabled as well. That's why
    Tamera is here, and her mom qualifies. Now,
    her job as the caregiver is to find all this information out, take the
    form--right? I'm kind of leading you along here.
        Ms. Shumaker. Absolutely. Well, it----
        The President. Not even a lawyer, and I'm leading the witness.
    [Laughter]
        Ms. Shumaker. Part of it is that when my
    mom gets forms that come in the mail and they're five, six, seven pages
    long, she becomes very overwhelmed very easily. And so immediately it
    usually goes into the trash, and she doesn't even remember that she's
    gotten the information. So I feel it's very important if someone can
    step up and help them through that process, because it's so overwhelming
    for them that it's a lot easier for me to come in, for me to go onto the
    Internet, which she wouldn't even know how to turn the computer on, but
    people to do that and get that information out there and get it set up.
    And it makes her feel really well, also, because she doesn't have to
    rely on us.
        The President. Yes, see, this is what it's going to take to get
    people to understand what's available, the spirit you've just heard
    here. You've got the community center; people come--people come to get
    exercise. They come to do all projects. One project that we're going to
    make sure that the community centers do is ``look at what's available''
    project, the new Medicare project. I don't know what you call it, but
    just make sure it happens.
        Then we've got the volunteer. We got the volunteers, people who take
    time out of their lives to help somebody. No better way to help
    somebody, no better way to make somebody's life better than to find a
    senior and say, this is a--that doesn't understand the program, and say,
    ``This is

    [[Page 1016]]

    available for you.'' It's a fantastic opportunity.
        Then we've got the small-business guy who sees a lot of people that
    are going to benefit from this program. So he's now--he's not going to
    say, ``What can I sell you?'' He's now going to say, ``Here's how I'm
    going to help you. Here's what I'm going to do as a citizen who cares
    deeply about my community, how I'm going to help you.''
        And then we got the daughter, and sons and daughters--I keep saying
    this, I know, but we've got responsibilities in our society. Those of us
    who have been--who are coming up have got responsibilities to those who
    raised us, I think. A healthy society is one in which people assume
    responsibility, and there's no greater responsibility than loving your
    mom or dad. And the best way to love a mom or a dad is to learn about
    this drug benefit in Medicare and help them--help them apply for it, and
    you will have done your duty as well.
        I want to thank you all for coming. I hope you got the message. The
    message is, there's good help coming. The law has been passed. I proudly
    signed it. Starting October the 1st, the different programs available
    for seniors will become available. In the meantime, fill out a form to
    qualify for the low-income benefit which will then be available,
    starting January the 1st. These are a lot of dates, I know, but it's not
    all that many. November the 15th, the program opens for enrollment. You
    have until May 15th so you can get the discount on the drugs. And I urge
    you to pass the word, and I urge you to participate. And I urge our
    seniors in Minnesota and all across the country to make sure you take a
    look at this new Medicare bill. It's going to help your life a lot.
        Thank you all for coming today. I thank our panelists. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:07 a.m. at the Maple Grove Community
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary
    of State Mary Kiffmeyer of Minnesota; Mayor Mark Steffenson of Maple
    Grove, MN; and Lisa Jost, manager, Maple Grove Community Center.