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Senate Begins Debate on Medicare Drug Benefit

Congress seeks to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, but parties differ over the size of the program.
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Congress seeks to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, but parties differ over the size of the program.

The Senate launches what could be a two-week debate on a bill to add prescription drug coverage to the Medicare program. One of the major ideas being discussed is providing seniors and the disabled with the same level of coverage as members of Congress and the president receive. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Julie Rovner is a health policy correspondent for NPR specializing in the politics of health care.Reporting on all aspects of health policy and politics, Rovner covers the White House, Capitol Hill, the Department of Health and Human Services in addition to issues around the country. She served as NPR's lead correspondent covering the passage and implementation of the 2010 health overhaul bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.