[From the diaries by susanhu. Street Kid is the go-to person who’s doing a hell of a lot of research on this atrocious, life-threatening mess of a Medicare plan. Check out her other recent diaries for more reports and analyses.]

From ABC: Henry Waxman, the senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, said that the Medicare plan should be overhauled to make it less complex and expensive.

Waxman also stated that

“America’s seniors and America’s taxpayers deserve honesty, simplicity, and a fair deal.”

and the government should use

“the purchasing power of all of America’s seniors to get low prices and better coverage.” … continued below …

Waxman also stated that

“corruption, incompetence, and an ideology that favors private profits over public programs all played a role.”

Referring to the 2003 Congress:

“The program was turned over to hundreds of private insurers who can charge what they want, cover what drugs they want, and change what they cover at will…Instead of the certainty of Medicare coverage, seniors are now faced with a confusing array of choices, inaccurate information, and sometimes even higher costs.”

Wonder if he was referring to this?

The program is a giveaway to pharmaceutical firms because Congress barred Medicare from negotiating deep discounts in drug prices – a practice used effectively in other government programs…It could have been different, of course. A drug benefit targeted solely to the neediest…could be in operation now, had Congress not, instead, endorsed the existing, flawed law -thanks in large measure to mid-Michigan Congressmen Dave Camp, Vern Ehlers and Mike Rogers.