William F. May, seen before his speech last night at Mary Washington College, is a member of a national board that counsels President Bush on bioethical issues. smc Visit the Photo Place

'They've been had'

Presidential bioethicist criticizes Medicare benefit package during visit to Mary Washington College

By MICHAEL ZITZ

Date published: 12/3/2003

By MICHAEL ZITZ Bioethicist slams Medicare drug plan

A member of the President's Council on Bioethics blasted the White House's policy on Medicare prescription drug benefits yesterday during a visit to Mary Washington College.

William F. May, a member of President Bush's 17-member council on bioethics, said the new policy is "mysticism of the marketplace run amok" that will mean higher prices for prescription drugs.

The council advises Bush on ethical issues related to advances in biomedical science and technology.

During the Clinton administration, May was a member of a group of experts that provided the president with recommendations on health-care policy.

During an interview prior to a lecture at MWC last night, May said the White House Medicare prescription drug package is "giving away the government's ability to negotiate with pharmaceutical houses on the price of drugs. It's terrible."

May also sharply criticized the American Association of Retired People, which backs the plan.

"The AARP is in the insurance business," he said. He said elderly people think the organization is looking out for them and "they've been had by this arrangement."

May is a highly regarded medical ethicist who has been head of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility at Southern Methodist University. He is also a founding fellow of the Hastings Center, which deals with bioethics. He is the author of numerous books and has written about the moral and ethical obligations health-care professionals have to patients.

The President's Council on Bioethics makes policy recommendations to the White House on issues including cloning, stem-cell research, genetic manipulation of fetuses and other hot-button topics.

When the council voted 10-7 against any form of cloning research, May was one of the dissenting votes. The decision was used to support the president's policy of restricting stem-cell research to lines already set aside for that purpose.

May said he doesn't favor cloning for the purpose of having babies, but does support research "under strict regulation" that could help victims of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, diabetes and spinal cord injury. He said embryos older than 14 days should never be used.

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Date published: 12/3/2003