Senator Tours State To Promote Prescription Drug Plan For Seniors

Senator Jim Talent is spending part of this week touring the state to promote the new Medicare prescription drug benefit for senior citizens. Talent says a big part of his tour is aimed at informing senior citizens about the benefit. He rejects some of the charges being made by some of the plan’s opponents, saying the criticism is politically motivated, adding the plan had bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. The federal plan takes effect in 2006. Talent says Missouri seniors realize the program is intended primarily for the neediest and those with high prescription drug costs.