    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [February 11, 2006]
    [Pages 228-229]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    February 11, 2006

        Good morning. Today I want to talk to you about the new Medicare
    prescription drug coverage that went into effect on January 1st of this
    year.
        When I came into office, I found a Medicare system that was
    antiquated and not meeting the needs of America's seniors. The system
    would pay tens of thousands of dollars for a surgery but not a few
    hundred dollars for the prescription drugs that could have prevented the
    surgery in the first place. So working with Congress, we passed critical
    legislation that modernizes Medicare, provides seniors with more
    choices, and gives seniors better access to the prescription drugs they
    need.
        Since the program went into effect 6 weeks ago, more than 24 million
    people with Medicare now have prescription drug coverage, and hundreds
    of thousands more are enrolling each week. The competition in the
    prescription drug market has been stronger than expected and is lowering
    costs for taxpayers and seniors alike. This year, the Federal Government
    will spend 20 percent less overall on the Medicare drug benefit than
    projected just last July. The average premium that seniors pay is a
    third less than had been expected--just $25 per month instead of $37 per
    month. And the typical senior will end up spending about half of what
    they used to spend on prescription drugs each year.
        Last month in Oklahoma City, a senior named Dorothy Brown signed up for Medicare prescription drug coverage.
    Dorothy has six prescriptions, and previously she paid about $300 a
    month for her medicines. A Medicare enrollment counselor at a shopping
    mall helped Dorothy log on to the Medicare web site, where she typed the
    information on Dorothy's Medicare card and listed Dorothy's
    prescriptions. When the counselor was finished, the computer showed five
    different plans that fit Dorothy's needs. Dorothy chose the least
    expensive plan, and now, instead of paying $300 a month, she will pay
    about $36 a month for her medicines. As a result, Dorothy will save more
    than $3,000 this year.
        For Dorothy and for the vast majority of
    our seniors, the new prescription drug program is working well. Still,
    when you make a big change in a program involving millions of people,
    there are bound to be some challenges, and this has been the case with
    the new drug coverage. Some people had trouble the first time they went
    to the pharmacy after enrolling. Information for some beneficiaries was
    not transferred smoothly between Medicare, drug plans, and the States.
    And in the early days of the drug coverage, waiting times were far too
    long for many customers and pharmacists who called Medicare or their
    drug plans to seek help.
        Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt has traveled to 18 States in the past 3 weeks to meet with
    Governors and make sure the prescription drug program is working for
    everyone, and we're making good progress. We're ensuring that drug plans
    have more up-to-date information on their beneficiaries, and we're
    improving data-sharing among Medicare, health plans, and the States. We
    have also extended the transition period from 30 days to 90 days, to
    guarantee that seniors do not go without the medicine they need as they
    switch to a new drug plan. We have also acted to ensure that phone calls
    to the Medicare help line are now answered with little or no waiting
    time, and we're working with insurers to help them do the same on their
    phone lines.
        Despite early challenges, the results so far are clear: The new
    Medicare prescription drug plan is a good deal for seniors. If you're a
    Medicare recipient and have

    [[Page 229]]

    not yet signed up for prescription drug coverage, I encourage you to
    review your options and choose the plan that is right for you. Americans
    who have parents on Medicare should encourage and help them to sign up.
    Citizen groups, faith-based organizations, health professionals, and
    pharmacies across America are working to help answer questions. Seniors
    can also get information 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or by
    visiting the official Medicare web site at medicare.gov.
        Prescription drug coverage under Medicare has been available for
    just a few weeks, but its benefits will last for decades to come. I was
    proud to sign this Medicare reform into law. And because we acted,
    millions of American seniors are now saving money, getting the
    lifesaving drugs they need, and receiving the modern health care they
    deserve.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:10 a.m. on February 10 in the
    Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February
    11. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on February 10 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.