Prescription Drug Coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Selected Proposals

Publication Date: July 2003

Publisher: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

This updated document, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provides a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate Medicare proposals, as passed on June 27, 2003. The side-by-side describes key provisions of H.R. 1, The Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, and S. 1, The Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003.

This updated document, which includes CBO's recent estimates of the costs of each bill and additional detail on payments to plans and the provisions on premium support in the House bill, has been prepared as part of the Foundation's continuing effort to track the Medicare prescription drug debate. The Foundation will be releasing a longer, more-detailed comparison of the two bills in the near future and will continue to update this side-by-side to reflect the conference agreement.