AARP To Ask Congress To Change Medicare Part D

The AARP has announced that they plan to lobby Congress for changes in the new prescription drug benefit available through Medicare. They hope to eliminate the "asset test", which is used to determine whether seniors are poor enough to qualify for federal government subsidies to help pay for the cost of Medicare Part D. They also would like Medicare to negotiate better drug prices directly with drug manufacturers, which would help reduce out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries.