Denver, Colorado -- As part of his public relations tour, President Bush defended his broken prescription drug plan this week, even while delays and problems continue to undermine the security of millions of America's seniors and their families who rely on Medicare.

Twenty state governments including Colorado have even had to step in and pay unpaid drug claims that should have been covered by President Bush's Medicare program. The program is also another example of Republican fiscal mismanagement, as the cost of the failed program has mushroomed from $400 billion to $700 billion.

Here in Colorado, Democratic taxpayers have been forced to bail out the Bush Administration so that seniors could receive much needed prescription drugs. The Bush Administration failed to provide the resources for their plan, leaving states to bail them out, and placing health care in the hands of big drug companies.

"Once again this Administration and Washington Republicans have failed Colorado seniors leaving them feeling less secure about their health care," said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. "Republicans made the wrong choices by putting the interests of drug companies over those of America's seniors. Instead of offering more of the same, Republicans should join Democrats who are working to provide health care security for all America's seniors."

Pharmacists and Seniors Struggle With New Prescription Drug Plan. "The new benefit has led to more paperwork, numerous phone calls to hard-to-reach plan managers and inconsistent information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the private drug companies. 'It's not the wholesaler or the retailer that's winning,' said [\pharmacy owner Tom Bartholomew. 'The insurance companies and the drug companies are in bed with each other.'" [Aberdeen American News, 3/12/06] Medicare Plan Bewildering,

Serves as "Bonanza" for Drug and Insurance Industries. "With its bewildering and useless 'choices' of dozens of plans and vendors, its additional costs to more than six million low-income elderly Medicaid patients, its 'doughnut hole' of huge out-of-pocket expenses, and windfall profits to the drug and insurance industries. The fragmentation, inefficiency, and burden to the elderly are the predictable consequence of Bush's treatment of his program as a bonanza for the drug and insurance industries." [The American Prospect, March, 2006]

Bush's Medicare Plan Will Cost Almost Double What He First Claimed. "The federal government plans to spend more than $700 billion during the next 10 years to provide drug coverage under Medicare as part of a landmark bill signed by President Bush in December 2003." Originally, Bush's prescription drug plan was to have cost $400 billion over 10 years. [ChicagoTribune, 2/26/06; WashingtonPost, 1/29/04]