Florida: U.S. House of Representatives, 5th District

Candidates

Virginia 'Ginny' Brown-Waite, Republican
Karen Thurman, Democrat

Issues: Prescription Drugs | Social Security | Health Care |

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Question

Many people with Medicare lack adequate coverage for prescription drugs and face skyrocketing costs. What solution do you support to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for their drugs?

AARP Response

AARP believes an acceptable Medicare drug benefit needs to meet the following tests:

First, the benefit must offer real value at an affordable price. The monthly premium should be less than $35. The beneficiary’s deductible and co-payments should be reasonable and affordable, (e.g. a deductible no greater than $250). There should be no gaps in coverage, leaving persons to pay 100% of high out-of-pocket costs.

Second, the benefit should be available to all Medicare beneficiaries on a voluntary basis. No one should be forced into the program. But no one should also be denied access to a Medicare drug benefit because of where they live, how sick they might be, or how much or how little income they have.

Third, the plan must help bring down soaring drug costs.

Fourth, the plan must include additional help for low-income persons.

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Creates an affordable monthly premium
Supports a fair deductible and co-payment
Provides no gaps in coverage

Candidate Response: Virginia 'Ginny' Brown-Waite

For too long, Congress has failed to address the rising costs of prescription drugs and pass a meaningful Medicare prescription drug benefit program our seniors. In the Florida legislature, we have passed a modest prescription drug plan and accomplished HMO reform.

Just as I took on the HMO’s and led the fight for reform, in the Florida Senate, I pledge to do the same against the pharmaceutical industry in the House of Representatives, to fight the billions lost due to Medicare fraud, and work to offer a prescription drug program that is economical, equitable, simple to implement, and one that provides meaningful assistance to our seniors who desperately need help paying for prescription drugs.

Candidate Response: Karen Thurman

Many seniors without prescription drug insurance often skip or skimp on medications because they cannot afford them. This cannot continue. I voted for H.R. 5019, which provides Medicare beneficiaries with an affordable, guaranteed comprehensive prescription drug benefit as part of Medicare.

I also support H.R. 1400, ending drug price discrimination and makes prescription drugs available to Medicare beneficiaries at substantially reduced prices. It requires prescription drug manufacturers to sell their products to Medicare beneficiaries at the lower, average price that residents of other industrialized nations pay for the same pharmaceuticals.

I also support H.R. 1862, ending the ability of brand name manufacturers to obtain frivolous patent extensions for minor changes like altering the color of a pill. Tactics like these artificially inflate drug prices.

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 individual accounts. Social Security is not in crisis. Without any changes in current law, Social Security can pay 100% of benefits until 2041. But individual accounts funded with Social Security dollars mean Social Security would face financial problems sooner.

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

Creating these private 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 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.

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Creates individual accounts out of Social Security
Position means less money for guaranteed benefits
Position guarantees benefits for your lifetime

Candidate Response: Virginia 'Ginny' Brown-Waite

For our 5th Congressional District and for our nation, the Congress must act to protect and preserve Social Security. The challenges facing Social Security in the coming years will place a substantial financial burden on the federal government. While I do not support privatization of Social Security, I believe that the status quo is insufficient and that Congress must act to ensure that our nation does not reduce benefits for our retirees and near retirees end the fiscal caps on other retirement savings, such as 401K’s and IRA’s promote incentives for individuals to invest in their own futures with their own money; and explore new ways to increase the yield of Social Security.

Candidate Response: Karen Thurman

I have dedicated my Congressional career to protecting and strengthening the Social Security system for present and future retirees; a system of guaranteed benefits. Major privatization proposals would invest Social Security funds in the stock market without any guaranteed return.

Diverting Social Security tax dollars to private accounts would have a devastating effect on the longevity of the program. Diverting as little as two percentage points of the current payroll tax into private accounts would cost the Trust Fund $1.1 trillion. A decrease in revenue of this magnitude would shorten the life of Social Security by 14 years, to 2024. The only way to ensure this does not happen is either to cut benefits or raise the retirement age. I consider both options unacceptable.

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 for 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).
  
  

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Supports health care for all Americans
Proposes steps to cover more people

Candidate Response: Virginia 'Ginny' Brown-Waite

Available, affordable, and accessible health care is a priority for our 5th Congressional District and, just as I led the fight for HMO reform in Florida, I will fight in the Congress to ensure that our nation addresses the rising costs of healthcare.

Health care reform must protect our seniors’ benefits, without raising taxes; must ensure that individuals and Medicare beneficiaries have more options and increased access to advanced health care services; and we must also reduce frivolous lawsuits that have aided in increasing healthcare premium costs by supporting fair and equitable tort reform.

In providing available, affordable, and accessible health care coverage for every American, I believe that our patients need more control, and that doctors and patients, not bureaucrats, should make medical decisions.

Candidate Response: Karen Thurman

Forty-three million Americans lack insurance. It is crucial that we fix this problem. I believe we can achieve this goal.

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Congress should expand Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to include adults above certain poverty levels. I also coauthored H.R. 5174, the Small Business Health Insurance Affordability Act of 2002. This bill provides an incentive for small businesses, which traditionally do not offer employee health benefits, to offer health insurance as a benefits option.

Another way to reduce the cost of healthcare is to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. Last year, prescription drugs spending was the single largest component of the increase in health care spending. Reducing drug costs helps everyone afford prescription drugs, and as a result, avoids costly hospitalization.