    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [December 13, 2005]
    [Pages 1849-1851]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Roundtable Discussion on Medicare in Springfield,
    Virginia
    December 13, 2005

        Dr. Mark McClellan and I have just
    heard from folks who have been analyzing and/or helping people analyze
    the current

    [[Page 1850]]

    Medicare drug benefit and current Medicare--modernized Medicare program.
        Awhile ago, I worked with the Congress to modernize and strengthen
    Medicare for our seniors. And the reason we did, because if the
    Government commits to health care for our seniors, it ought to be a
    program that does the following things: One, provide modern medicine;
    and two, give seniors a variety of options from which to match their
    needs to that which is available.
        We fully recognize that for some seniors, that this is a daunting
    task. When you give people choice and options, it is--it can be a
    situation where people say, ``I don't really--this is something I may
    not want to do.'' And so I want to assure the seniors the following
    things: One, the Medicare--the new Medicare plan is voluntary; it's
    optional; two, that there are people around who are willing to help
    explain the program for you and to you. There's--when you have choices
    to make, there's going to be some--you do have choices to make--and
    somebody will be able to sit down with you and explain why this program
    is good.
        For example, Eloise is talking about
    the fact that she's spending a lot on prescription drugs, and under the
    new Medicare plan, she's able to choose a program that will
    substantially reduce the cost of her prescription drugs. Low-income
    seniors will get substantial help. People will be able to match a
    program to their specific needs.
        And what we want to assure seniors around the country is that there
    is help. You can call 1-800-MEDICARE. You can get on the Internet with
    medicare.gov. Ask your son or daughter; ask people in your church; ask
    people in AARP; ask people in your community center to help you look at
    what's available for you. It's a good deal. It's a good deal for our
    seniors.
        And so one of the reasons we have come today is to encourage people
    to see what is available in the new law. Enrollment began in mid-
    November. The program will begin in January of this year. We urge you to
    look at the options available to you and sign up by May of next year.
        This is Government that has recognized it has a responsibility to
    help our seniors. And the bill I was fortunate enough to sign into law
    does just that.
        Again, I want to thank you all for joining us. I want to thank you
    for your hard work, Charlotte. Ellen DeMucci
    is a pharmacist. One of the interesting groups that are reaching out to
    our seniors are those who are behind the counter. Ellen and her fellow
    pharmacists interface with seniors on a daily basis. They know the needs
    of seniors. They, in many cases, have analyzed what's available for our
    seniors. They're available to help seniors fill out the forms. She has
    worked with Eloise.
        Again, I urge our fellow citizens to help our seniors realize what's
    available in this wonderful program. And I finally want to thank Senator
    Allen and Congressman Davis for joining us as well. They're interested in this
    program. They're interested in the people of Virginia, and they want to
    make sure the seniors of Virginia get all the options available for them
    to choose from.
        Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:36 a.m. at the Greenspring Village
    Retirement Community. In his remarks, he referred to Dr. Charlotte S.
    Yeh, Regional Administrator, Centers for
    Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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