What's the point of having an "early warning system" if folksaren't likely to heed it? Ask lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Inapproving a Medicare drug entitlement last fall, they installed afiscal "early warning system" intended to alert them when theretirement of millions of baby boomers makes the Great Societyprogram take up too much of the federal budget.
Key senators are sponsoring legislation that would exempt federalretirees (including retired senators) from the Medicareprescription drug bill they approved earlier this summer.
Part of the new Medicare law calls for a "demonstration program" insix metropolitan areas, allowing private health care plans to offerseniors health coverage under the auspices of the ailing GreatSociety program.