Democrats vow to close Medicare 'doughnut hole'

The Washington Post, By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, The Associated Press, Thursday, December 17, 2009; 12:29 PM
Read item at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...121700199.html

WASHINGTON -- It's an annual ordeal for many seniors living on a budget.

Medicare's coverage gap for prescription drugs - $3,610 next year - has steadily gotten bigger since the benefit's inception. But if Democrats have their way on health care overhaul, the dreaded "doughnut hole" will shrink by $500 right away and go away altogether by 2019.

With the elderly worried that Medicare cuts in the health care bill will put the quality of their own care in jeopardy, Democrats belatedly are scrambling to convince them otherwise. Lawmakers are eager to make amends with a pivotal political constituency ahead of next year's midterm elections.

Senate Democratic leaders this week joined their House counterparts in vowing to close the coverage gap if President Barack Obama's health care remake passes.

"I personally am committed to fully closing the doughnut hole once and for all," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on the Senate floor. "The legislation we will send to President Obama for signature will make good on his promise, and ours, to forever end this indefensible injustice for America's seniors."

I understand this bill, if passed, doesn't go into effect until 2014. SO why the hurry to rush it through? It's only one of the biggest pieces of legislation ever. I've also read Harry Reid is "hiding" the bill and won't let anyone who isn't in lockstep with him read it. The handling of this thing is a disaster.

Whatever happened to Obama's campaign promise of governmental transparency and posting on the White House website the entire texts of bills prior to vote? O\