Senator Akaka continues his efforts to strengthen the Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure that beneficiaries have access to needed medical care. After previously supporting legislation to establish a comprehensive Medicare prescription drug benefit, Senator Akaka opposed the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act because it is a false promise to our seniors. The prescription drug benefits will not provide sufficient drug coverage and many seniors will be worse off under the law. For example, seniors who get their medications through Hawaii's Medicaid program will be charged more for medication than they currently are through Medicaid.

Senator Akaka is committed to making substantial improvements in the Medicare prescription drug benefits so that seniors are able to afford their essential medication. He worked with Senator Max Baucus to protect $21.6 billion intended for Medicaid and the Earned Income Tax Credit benefits from being diverted for additional tax cuts during consideration of the FY 2005 Budget Resolution.

Senator Akaka sponsored legislation to increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for Pap smear laboratory tests to ensure that the test remains available and reasonably priced for all women (P.L. 106-103). He successfully amended the Welfare-to-Work program to increase the number of welfare recipients and non-custodial parents eligible for job training, search, creation and retention services to foster self-sufficiency (P.L. 106-113).