Medicare prescription drugs: a benefit whose time has come

The Federal Medicare program's biggest flaw is the lack of an outpatient benefit for prescription drugs. One of the hottest legislative debates this summer will be whether or not to add this important therapeutic benefit to the Medicare program. Congressional planners will be weighing the positions of numerous stakeholders, as well as the fiscal implications of such a measure. The most important stakeholders are the elderly and the disabled, who depend on these medications for therapeutic relief.