Statement by Sandra Feldman
President, American Federation of Teachers/Healthcare
on the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill
 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— It is becoming clear that the Medicare prescription drug bill will do more harm than good. Congress should reject this deeply flawed plan and develop a true bipartisan bill that provides a prescription drug plan that strengthens the Medicare program.  This is what our seniors expect and deserve.

The prescription drug plan that has been offered provides, at best, inadequate benefits.  Even worse, the bill will undermine the healthcare of our seniors through provisions that will privatize Medicare, eliminate existing retiree health plans and, for the first time, require Medicare to be means tested. 

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.