George W. Bush, Republican

Social Security | Health Care Affordability | Prescription Drug Costs| Long Term Care

Social Security

	Supports	Opposes
Create individual accounts out of Social Security
AARP
George W. Bush

Issue Boxes: The candidate chose not to check an answer.

Question

Do you support or oppose replacing part of Social Security with individual accounts?

AARP Response

AARP strongly opposes replacing ANY part of Social Security with private individual accounts. Social Security is not in crisis. Without any changes in current law, Social Security can pay 100% of benefits until 2042. But private individual accounts funded with Social Security dollars mean Social Security would face financial problems sooner.

"Personal control" sounds appealing. But substituting private individual accounts, even for part of Social Security, drains money from Social Security, which means less money to pay guaranteed benefits.

Creating these private individual accounts requires trading today's inflation-protected lifetime guaranteed benefit for an account subject to market risk and not guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Inflation, market turns, or sudden loss of employment can also mean that your private individual account may not have enough money to provide an adequate benefit. AARP supports options that help Americans save for their retirement through individual accounts on top of Social Security; but opposes replacing any part of Social Security's guaranteed benefit.

Candidate Response: George W. Bush

Fifty years ago, 16 workers paid into Social Security for every retiree. Now, 3.3 workers support every retiree and that will drop to 2 workers by 2040. The payroll tax, once 2%, is now more than 12%, and without decisive action, will have to rise by more than 50% to keep Social Security solvent. My Administration will keep Social Security's promise for today's seniors, and keep it strong for future generations. I support doing so without changing benefits for retirees or near retirees, without raising payroll taxes and by adding voluntary personal savings accounts. These personal accounts will allow today's workers to build a nest egg which could be passed along to their families, and according to Social Security actuaries, will strengthen the system permanently. I am committed to working with Congress to put Social Security on a sound footing for future generations.

Health Care Affordability

	Supports	Opposes
Provide employer incentives
AARP
George W. Bush
Expand public programs.
AARP
George W. Bush

Issue Boxes: The candidate chose not to check an option.

Question

In the face of escalating costs, how would you reform the health care system to make it available, affordable and accessible for every American?

AARP Response

AARP supports measures to achieve access to affordable health care coverage for all individuals, an approach that would address the needs of those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage.

In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports incremental reforms specifically targeted to particular populations that significantly improve coverage options for those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage.

These reforms include:

• Opening existing public programs (e.g. Medicaid) to new categories of people who are uninsured;
• Inducing employers to offer coverage;
• Subsidizing the cost of private coverage for those who are uninsured, underinsured, or at risk of losing coverage;
• Expanding the continuation of group health care coverage at group rates to persons whose access is ending (e.g. expanding COBRA coverage).

Candidate Response: George W. Bush

I am committed to making affordable health care available to all Americans. I have proposed $70 billion in tax credits to help working Americans get coverage. I established health savings accounts which allow tax-free saving for routine medical expenses and future medical needs. Coupled with high-deductible insurance, these plans provide flexible and affordable coverage for businesses and individuals. I proposed allowing small businesses to band together to purchase coverage for their workers. And I was proud to sign legislation that provides voluntary prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries to help with the costs of their medicines. Medicare now provides preventive benefits and screenings to diagnose and treat health problems early and provide seniors with better care. I am fighting rising health costs by rooting out fraud and abuse, working to eliminate "junk lawsuits" and promoting wider use of health information technology to improve quality, reduce errors, and cut administrative waste.

Prescription Drug Costs

	Supports	Opposes
Close coverage gap for all Medicare beneficiaries
AARP
George W. Bush
Supports legal importation from Canada
AARP
George W. Bush
Supports HHS secretary negotiations
AARP
George W. Bush

Issue Boxes: The candidate chose not to check an option.

Question

How would you propose to reduce drug costs and close the gap in coverage for all Medicare beneficiaries?

AARP Response

Legislation adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare became law in 2003. While this is a good first step, the benefit does not cover the drug costs between $2,250 and $5,100 for most Medicare beneficiaries. AARP supports closing the gap in coverage for all beneficiaries and believes that more must be done to bring down soaring drug prices. AARP supports the legal importation of prescription drugs beginning with Canada and allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries if competitive purchasing doesn't work.

Candidate Response: George W. Bush

For the first time, a voluntary prescription drug benefit will be offered in Medicare. Beginning in 2006, for a low monthly premium of about $35, seniors can choose among plans to have Medicare pay 75% of the cost of all prescription drugs, up to $2,250 a year and 95% of catastrophic drug costs. 12 million low-income seniors benefit the most with 100% coverage of prescription drug costs with a $1 to $5 co-pay. The law protects employer-sponsored retiree coverage through new Federal subsidies. Immediate relief is available through the Medicare prescription drug cards which are cutting 16 to 30% off the retail prices of most brand name medicines and 30 to 60% off the price of generics, plus a $600 a year subsidy to low-income seniors. We have also made it easier to bring safe, effective, and affordable generic medicines to market, saving an estimated $35 billion over ten years.

Long Term Care

	Supports	Opposes
Giving individuals more and better home and community based care options
AARP
George W. Bush
Increased training and staffing numbers across all settings
AARP
George W. Bush
Expanding stable financing sources
AARP
George W. Bush

Issue Boxes: The candidate chose not to check an option.

Question

What do you propose to give consumers more and better options for long term care; promote better, more integrated delivery systems; expand stable financing sources for all long term care options, especially in home and community based settings; and strengthen support for family caregivers?

AARP Response

At some point, most Americans will need some help with daily activities (such as dressing or bathing). Many will also need other supportive services. Currently, the U.S. has no national policy or established system for delivering these services to Americans with long term care needs. The caregiving burden on millions of families is often overwhelming.

AARP supports measures that provide individuals' access to long term care services and assure quality - especially those services in people's homes and communities, so that fewer people need to move to institutions. These improvements can be done by:

• increasing consumer control and decision-making;
• supporting caregivers through respite care and tax credits;
• making it easier to find the services that are right for an individual's circumstances;
• building an efficient system to deliver services, whether in homes, communities, or institutions;
• increasing training and numbers of direct care staff across all settings; and
• improving coordination between medical and long-term care.

Expanding home and community-based services will reduce the cost burden to individuals and families, meet their preferences, and help prevent unnecessary institutionalization.

Candidate Response: George W. Bush

Many Americans struggle to care for an elderly or sick loved one, and my Administration is working to help these families. I believe families can make better decisions about care than the current institutional-based, provider-driven system. We are making progress. While current law provides tax deductions for certain long-term care expenses, families who provide care to a family member in their home may find their needs are not met. My Administration has proposed an additional personal tax exemption for taxpayers who care for certain qualified family members who reside together. Additionally, I have proposed to make individually purchased long-term care insurance more affordable by creating an above-the-line deduction for qualified long-term care insurance premiums. Medicaid is also a vital resource for families, and between 2001 and 2004, more money has been spent on home and community-based waivers than during the previous eight years.