    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [July 22, 2005]
    [Pages 1263-1264]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Visit With Senior Citizens in Atlanta, Georgia
    July 22, 2005

        The President. How are you? Say hello to my mother. How's everybody?
    So what are you doing here, Patty?
        Patti Patterson. We're talking about the
    extra help application. I'm trying to get these guys to help me spread
    the word to anybody and everybody that they might know might be eligible
    for this extra help.
        The President. Well, thank you. You know, sometimes when a person
    hears that their Medicare program is going to change, it creates a
    little anxiety. And what we need is people all around the country saying
    to a friend, ``Just take a look at the new plan.'' I'm telling you,
    we're coming with a good plan for seniors. It's really going to help a
    lot of people.
        So this is an effort to reach out to people all around the country--
    here in Atlanta and all around the country--to explain to people there
    are some new options in Medicare that will make their lives better. It's
    voluntary. If you like what you got, you can stay with what you got. If
    you're interested in the new ideas, we're out making sure people know
    those options are available.
        I want to thank you for being interested in helping. This is going
    to require a lot of chatter, a lot of people talking to their neighbors,
    and a lot of people helping people understand what's available and the
    forums that are available and the programs that are available. And I
    want to thank you all for reaching out.
        Ms. Patterson. Thank you.
        The President. I brought somebody with me--[laughter]--my favorite
    senior citizen. [Laughter]
        Former First Lady Barbara Bush. I have to
    be, I've got an almost 60-year-old son. [Laughter]
        The President. We'd like to say hello to you. Thanks for doing this.
    This is a national effort that you're a part of.
        Former First Lady Bush. Weren't you going
    to tell people they ought to ask doctors, lawyers, people they trust
    whether this is a good deal for them?
        The President. Yes, I am.
        Former First Lady Bush. Yes, you are.
    [Laughter]
        The President. You ought to ask your people that you count on for
    advice, that this is a good deal. You know, for a lot of seniors, the
    prescription drug benefit is going to help change their lives in a
    positive way. Again, if you're happy with what you're getting from
    Medicare or your private insurance plan, nothing changes. That's what
    people have got to understand. But for a lot of folks, this new
    modernization of Medicare is going to provide some new benefits that are
    going to be incredibly important.
        Former First Lady Bush. It saves them
    money.
        The President. And save money, yes. See? That's why she's here--to remind me of what to say--[laughter]--and
    save their lives.
        One of the things that's interesting about Medicare is that there's
    a new benefit that enables people to get preventative screenings early.
    If you now join Medicare, the first thing that happens is the Government
    will give you a screening to determine whether or not there's any
    illnesses or conditions that need to be addressed now. That's a change
    in Medicare. That seems to make sense to me. If you diagnose a problem
    early, it's easier to solve the problem. And then starting in January of
    next year, there's going to be a new prescription drug benefit. And
    seniors, by the way, will get more choices to choose from. But it's all
    voluntary. In other words, the Government is not saying, ``You have to
    do this.'' The Government is saying, ``These programs are available to
    you.''

    [[Page 1264]]

        So we've got a lot of good folks explaining what's available.
    Mother and I are going to go over to have a
    little forum. And one of the persons in the forum is a pharmacist. So
    the corner store pharmacists are now beginning to understand what the
    new program is, and they'll help other seniors understand, when it
    becomes available.
        Anyway, thanks for letting us come by and say hello. It's good to
    see you. We're coming around to shake hands.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:18 a.m. on the Budd Terrace at the
    Wesley Woods Center. Participating in the visit was Patti Patterson,
    Deputy Regional Communications Director, Social Security Administration,
    Atlanta Region.