"On January 1, 2006, Medicare will begin to offer a prescription drug benefit, and for the first time, it will place an emphasis on preventive care and early treatment of disease"

This quote by Michael Burgess is referring to the intro of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit in 2006. This benefit was designed to offer Medicare recipients with access to prescription drugs at a lower cost. Additionally, the benefit put an emphasis on preventive care and early treatment of illness. This was a major shift in the way Medicare was administered, as it was the very first time that Medicare had placed an emphasis on preventive care and early treatment of disease. This shift was viewed as a way to reduce the overall expense of healthcare by avoiding more severe illnesses from establishing. The intro of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit in 2006 was a significant turning point in the history of Medicare and has had a long lasting influence on the way health care is administered in the United States.