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Associated PressJeb Bush dismisses the notion that the new prescription drug program will help his brother's re-election campaign.
KISSIMMEE - Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday helped roll out the new Medicare prescription drug card his brother, President Bush, pushed through Congress.
Analysts say the program could help the president win re-election votes this November in a state where nearly one in five residents are seniors and about 3-million people qualify for Medicare.
The governor, however, said he didn't think his brother would gain much political capital, since the Medicare drug benefit doesn't go into effect until 2006.
"In that respect it may not be helpful to the campaign," Bush said after addressing about 200 seniors at the Osceola County Council on Aging Senior Citizens in Kissimmee.
The prescription drug program is divided into two phases.
First, Medicare recipients could start registering Monday for a discount card that helps them save from 10 to 15 percent on drug costs. The cards offered by private companies are priced no higher than $30 and buyers have a variety to choose from, based on what drugs they take, where they live and whether they are open to getting drugs through the mail.
The second phase begins in January 2006 when Medicare begins covering 75 percent of drug costs up to $2,250. Recipients likely will have to pay a $35 monthly premium and a $250 deductible each year.
"This is important for Florida," Bush said.
But Gala Valero, an 80-year-old Kissimmee resident, said she didn't plan on participating in the program, because her doctors give her samples of the medicines she requires.
"I don't need it," she said.
Several public officials were on hand at the senior center to answer questions about the Medicare benefit, including Leslie Norwalk, deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Florida Health Secretary Dr. John Agwunobi, Florida Elder Affairs Secretary Terry White and Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist.
Crist warned the seniors against scams that only pretend to sell drug cards.
White urged the seniors to consult with volunteers from his agency who educate older residents about health insurance programs.