US Congress approves 395 billion dollar health reform
AFP, November, 2003
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WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Congress passed the first sweeping overhaul in four decades of health care for the elderly and disabled, spurning concerted efforts by Democrats to block the bill.
By a 54-4 vote, the Senate agreed to expand the program by providing prescription drug coverage to 40 million senior citizens and the disabled.
The House of Representatives passed the 395 billion dollar bill just before dawn on Saturday, and Senate Democrats failed in their efforts Monday to block the Medicare legislation with procedural objections.
Bill Frist, Senate leader of the majority Republican party, hailed Tuesday's measure as a vital update of a critical, but outmoded, health program.
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"This bill is epochal in the sense that it modernizes Medicare to 21st-century standards, such as preventive care for things like heart disease and diabetes ... management, which is commonplace in the private sector but is practically nonexistent in Medicare ...
