KOHL, FEINGOLD SUCCESSFULLY PUSH TWO-AND-A-HALF YEAR SENIORCARE
EXTENSION
Extension Language Included in Bill Expected to Reach President
Bush’s Desk
April 24, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, Chairman of the Senate
Special Committee on Aging, and U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today announced
the successful inclusion of a two-and-a-half year extension of SeniorCare,
Wisconsin’s popular senior drug coverage program, in the Iraq
Supplemental Conference Report, a bill that also includes funding for
disaster aid, veterans’ health, agricultural disasters, and other
emergency funding. The SeniorCare extension was included by the supplemental
conference committee, of which Senator Kohl is a member, last night
after intense negotiation because of the savings the program offers
the federal government. Extending SeniorCare through December 31, 2009
will provide $26 million in savings over five years. This two-and-a-half
year extension will allow Wisconsin a reasonable amount of time to determine
the best course of action to ensure that seniors do not lose their current
prescription drug coverage.
“By successfully including this extension in the supplemental,
we are giving the administration another chance to preserve this model
program,” said Chairman Kohl. “Programs like SeniorCare,
which provides better coverage and costs the federal government less,
should be preserved, not abolished.”
“I’m pleased I was able to help find a way to keep SeniorCare
working for Wisconsin’s seniors,” Feingold said. “If
passed, this fix will keep SeniorCare going while the delegation continues
to work together to make SeniorCare permanent.”
“Our number one priority has always been the interests of the
more than 100,000 seniors on SeniorCare and ensuring they continue to
get the high quality coverage they enjoy now,” Congressman Ron
Kind (WI-03) said. “Moreover, the extension will not only benefit
Wisconsin's seniors, but also the federal government, which in these
tight budget times will save hundreds of millions of dollars. I commend
Senator Kohl for his tremendous leadership in the effort to preserve
this life-saving program, and although the measure must still withstand
a veto threat and most likely another round of negotiations, we will
continue to press our colleagues in Congress and the Bush Administration
on the merits of extending SeniorCare.”
“I applaud Sen. Kohl’s efforts. The entire Wisconsin delegation
remains strongly committed to the SeniorCare program. I hope the Bush
Administration will ultimately reverse its decision to end this highly-valued,
money-saving program,” said Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (WI-02).
President Bush is expected to veto the Iraq supplemental, at which
point it will be sent back to Congress. The Wisconsin delegation will
continue to work for the inclusion of a SeniorCare extension in any
subsequent versions of the supplemental.
The Administration announced its decision earlier this month to deny
SeniorCare a three-year waiver that would have allowed it to continue
through 2010. Last week, Chairman Kohl and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
met with Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Mike Leavitt to request
the six-month extension of SeniorCare, which is currently set to expire
June 30, 2007, at which point over 103,000 low-income seniors will lose
their current prescription drug coverage. HHS has yet to announce its
decision. After receiving a score from the Congressional Budget Office
(CBO) showing that SeniorCare generates savings for the federal government,
Senator Feingold was instrumental in drafting the initial legislation
to extend the SeniorCare program.
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