Clinton's Rx Remedy

President Clinton wants Republicans to sign on to the Democratic plan that would expand Medicare to include prescription drug benefits.

CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer reports that under the Democratic plan, seniors - except the poorest - would pay about $25 a month for 50 percent of the cost of the first $2000 in annual prescription bills.

Mr. Clinton said that at this time of historic prosperity and strength, there is "no reason why senior citizens should have to make a choice between their health, their food or their daily existence."

To underscore his point that drugs are too costly for many older Americans, Mr. Clinton and Democratic congressional leaders appeared in the White House Rose Garden with Betty Dizik, a 73-year-old widow who said she skips prescribed medications for diabetes and a heart condition when she cannot afford them.

"I'm not asking for a handout or charity. I'm willing to work and do my part," said Dizik. "I'm just asking for a little help."

Providing prescription coverage for people like Dizik, said the president, is "the smart and the right thing to do. We would never even think of creating Medicare today without it, and it's high time we fixed it."

The White House also released a study by the Older Women's League that concluded women on Medicare spend 13 percent more than men for prescription drugs. On average, the women's incomes are 40 percent below those of men.

Mr. Clinton said he realizes the Democratic plan cannot be passed without support from Republicans on Capitol Hill. In his State of the Union address in January, he recommended a Medicare drug benefit plan. House Republicans outlined their own approach last month, with the emphasis on private insurance.

"We need some Republican support," the president said. "This is a good bill."

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said the Republicans' plan, which would limit the prescription benefit to those earning up to $15,000 a year doesn't address the needs of people like Dizik.

"It wouldn't do a thing for her," he said.

Low-income beneficiaries up to 135 percent of the government's poverty level would receive subsidies, and beneficiaries with slightly higher incomes would receive a slightly reduced subsidy.

In addition to the basic benefit, Democrats said the plan envisions catastrophic coverage after out-of-pocket expenses exceed a certain level, likely $3,000 to $4,000 a year.