TSCL believes that the Medicare prescription drug benefit law is flawed, and will be carefully monitoring the effects of both the short-term Medicare drug cards, and the Medicare Drug Benefit plan in Medicare Part D as it traverses through the donut hole for many seniors.  TSCL considers it necessary to compile feedback on the measure of success or failure of the program and its donut hole phase.

One TSCL concern remains regarding the possibility of some seniors losing their prescription drug coverage from their former employers.  Therefore, we supported incentives to help businesses continue to cover their former employees.  We will continue to monitor this development to help ensure that retirees are given the option to maintain coverage that they are used to and prefer.

May 2007