It wasn't exactly his "belief". It was his reading of the actual figures.The White House released budget figures yesterday indicating that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit will cost more than $1.2 trillion in the coming decade, a much higher price tag than President Bush suggested when he narrowly won passage of the law in late 2003.[...]
The disclosure prompted new criticism by Democrats about the administration's long-term budget estimates. It also showed that Medicare, the national medical insurance program for seniors, may pose a far more serious budgetary problem in the com- ing decade than concerns about the solvency of Social Security.
[...]
Last March, Richard S. Foster, Medicare's chief actuary for nearly a decade, said administration officials threatened to fire him if he disclosed his belief in 2003 that the drug package would cost $500 billion to $600 billion. Lawmakers in both parties accused the administration of concealing important information that could have derailed passage of the bill.
WaPo article
Suckers. And if you didn't already know what Butthead thinks of you, he made it pretty darned clear recently...The new budget projections also show that seniors will face higher bills each year. A 10-year chart prepared by the Medicare actuaries estimates the drug premium will rise from $35 a month next year to $68 in 2015. Annual deductibles will start at $250 in 2006 and rise to about $472 in 2015, and the maximum annual out-of-pocket expense would be $6,800 that year.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, Ken, follow up. This is a home boy follow-up.
Q I seem to remember a time in Texas on another problem -- taxes -- where you tried to get out in front and tell people it's not a crisis now, it's going to be a crisis down the line. You went down in flames on that one. Why is there --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Actually, I -- let me -- let me, if I might -- (laughter) -- I don't think a billion dollar tax relief that permanently reduced property taxes on senior citizens was flames --
Q (Off mike) --
PRESIDENT BUSH: -- but since you weren't a senior citizen, perhaps that's your definition of flame. Yeah --
Q What is there about government --
PRESIDENT BUSH: -- 'cause you're not a senior citizen yet.
Q I'm getting there. What is there about government that makes it hard --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Acting like one, however. Go ahead. (Laughter.)
Q -- that makes it hard for government to get --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Faulty memory. (Laughter.)
NY Times article
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