Bush Extends Miners' Prescription Drugs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Bush administration has extended a program that provides prescription drug benefits to 50,000 retired coal miners and miners' widows through Medicare.

President Bush signed an administrative order Thursday keeping the pilot program going beyond its scheduled June 30 expiration until December 2005, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts said.

Under the plan, the Department of Health and Human Services will increase its Medicare reimbursement to the miners' health care fund by $190 million, said Dr. Larry Fields of the federal agency.

The additional funding also boosts the government's share of the beneficiaries' drug costs from 34 percent to 66 percent.

Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd dismissed the Bush plan as an election-year campaign ploy and said it doesn't go far enough.

Roberts credited Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, with persuading Bush to sign the order.

The UMW's West Virginia political action committee is to meet Friday to decide on endorsements for this fall's elections. Roberts declined to comment on whether there would be a push to endorse Capito.