David Thomas: “we also have issues at home about which we ought to be talking. One of them is health care, of course. We have great…”

“we also have issues at home about which we ought to be talking. One of them is health care, of course. We have great health care in this country, the best in the world. We have some limited access, however, because of the costs, and we need to address that issue. There are many reasons for the costs. One reason is liability and malpractice, which we do not seem to be able to deal with. Another reason, I suppose, is overutilization. There is a difference between health care and health. We have some responsibility to take care of ourselves as well. Modern equipment is the biggest cost increase. We all want the modern equipment. We have to find the system in which the costs can be reduced. In any event, what we are talking about today is the opportunity to make it much better for Medicare folks through a Medicare drug discount card in which seniors will soon be able to enroll. All Medicare beneficiaries, except those who have medication paid for by Medicaid, will be eligible. While seniors may enroll in only one Medicare-approved discount card, they can keep the other discount cards if they have them, if they like. There are going to be 40 official discount cards available. It is surprising there has been that much involvement. It shows we are moving in the right direction and doing what needs to be done. This is the first time in Medicare's history that seniors will have a discount for pharmaceutical drugs.”