[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 46 (Monday, November 21, 2005)]
[Pages 1712-1713]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

November 12, 2004

    Good morning. This coming Tuesday, America's Medicare beneficiaries 
can begin to enroll for new prescription drug coverage. This new benefit 
is the greatest advance in health care for seniors and Americans with 
disabilities since the creation of Medicare 40 years ago.
    In the past, Medicare would pay tens of thousands of dollars for 
ulcer surgery but not a few hundred dollars for prescription drugs that 
eliminate the cause of most ulcers. In the past, Medicare would pay more 
than $100,000 to treat the effects of a stroke but not $1,000 per year 
for blood-thinning drugs that could have prevented the stroke in the 
first place.
    With this new prescription drug benefit, Medicare will now help pay 
for the prescription drugs that can prevent serious illness. Seniors 
will get more choices and better treatment, and America will get a 
Medicare system to fit the needs of the 21st century.
    The new coverage will begin on January 1st. If you or someone you 
love depends on Medicare, I urge you to learn about the new choices you 
have, so you can make a decision and enroll. Enrollment is entirely 
voluntary, and seniors who want to keep their Medicare coverage the way 
it is will be able to do so. But for those who want to take advantage of 
this new drug benefit, enrolling by May 15th will ensure you the lowest 
possible premiums. The sooner you enroll, the sooner you can have the 
peace of mind this coverage will bring.
    The new prescription drug coverage will benefit people on Medicare 
in three important ways. First, it will help all seniors and Americans 
with disabilities pay for prescription drugs, no matter how they pay for 
their medicine now. Seniors who have no drug coverage and have average 
prescription drug costs will see savings of at least 50 percent. And 
seniors who have the highest drug costs will receive special help. 
Starting in January, once a senior has spent $3,600 in a year, Medicare 
will cover 95 percent of all prescription costs.
    Second, this new coverage will offer more and better health care 
choices than ever before. That means seniors can save more and get the 
coverage they want, not a ``one size fits all'' plan that does not meet 
their needs. Every prescription drug plan will offer a broad choice of 
generic and brand-name drugs, and seniors will be able to select any 
Medicare prescription drug plan in their area that fits their needs and 
their medical history.
    Third, this new prescription drug coverage will provide extra help 
to low-income seniors and beneficiaries with disabilities. About a third 
of the seniors will be eligible for a Medicare prescription drug benefit 
that includes little or no premiums, low deductibles, and no gaps in 
coverage. On average, Medicare will pick up the tab for more than 95 
percent of the costs that low-income seniors pay for prescription drugs.
    The days of low-income seniors having to make painful sacrifices to 
pay for their prescription drugs are now coming to an end. Last month, 
those of you on Medicare received in the mail a handbook called 
``Medicare and You'' that includes detailed information about your 
options. Citizen groups and faith-based organizations across America are 
also working to spread the word so that Medicare recipients can get 
their questions answered and make informed choices.
    If you have Medicare, I urge you to take advantage of this 
opportunity to learn more. Review your choices and make the decision 
that is right for you. If you have family or friends on Medicare, you 
can help too. Helping can be as simple as showing an older neighbor how 
to fill out a form or making a call for your mom or dad. You can get 
information 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or by visiting the 
official Medicare web site at medicare.gov.
    In the 21st century, preventing and treating illness often require 
prescription drugs. In the coming months, we will help every Medicare 
recipient make a confident choice about their prescription drug 
coverage. By expanding drug coverage for our Nation's

[[Page 1713]]

seniors, we will help all Americans on Medicare receive the modern 
health care they deserve.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:52 a.m. on November 11 in the 
Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on November 
12. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on November 11 but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.