Senate Approves $2.2T FY 2004 Budget Plan Including $400B Over 10 Years for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

The Senate on March 26 voted 56-44 to approve a $2.2 trillion fiscal year 2004 budget (S. Con. Res. 23) that incorporates $400 billion over 10 years that President Bush requested for Medicare reforms, including the addition of a prescription drug benefit, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Fram, AP/Contra Costa Times, 3/27). According to previous media reports, the resolution, which would balance the budget by 2013, also includes $50 billion for health insurance for the uninsured; $12.78 billion for Medicaid reform, provided that the legislation is budget-neutral over 10 years; $7.3 billion to expand Medicaid for children; $5.75 billion for legislation that would protect against bioterrorism; and $1.825 billion for the CHIP program (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/26). The resolution now moves to a Senate-House conference committee to reconcile the differences between the two chambers' budget proposals, the Washington Post reports (Dewar, Washington Post, 3/27). The House on March 21 voted 215-212 to approve a $2.2 trillion FY 2004 budget that does not include more than $200 billion in proposed cuts to Medicare but retains more than $250 billion in cuts to other federal programs, including Medicaid (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/21). House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) said negotiations between the House and Senate will likely begin next week, the New York Times reports (Rosenbaum, New York Times, 3/27).