Congress deserves credit for Medicare move

There was good health care news coming out of Washington recently that will affect the lives of Iowa senior citizens who suffer from serious kidney disease. This legislation will benefit taxpayers, too.

Medicare is changing the way it pays for health care services, and these changes threatened to affect access to drugs needed by end-stage renal disease patients. Congress kept these medications out of the new payment system so rural citizens can get the drugs at their local pharmacies instead of having to drive long distances to dialysis centers for them.

Because these medications are covered under Medicare Part D, they will be less expensive to federal taxpayers. It's nice to see Congress take action that is compassionate and fiscally smart at the same time.

Amy Thuente

Cedar Rapids