Wisconsin Governor's Vetoes to Help, Hurt, Seniors Seeking Health Care.

Byline: Steven Walters

Jul. 13--MADISON, Wis.--Gov. Jim Doyle will veto a proposed $5 increase in co-payments on brand-name drugs for residents who use the SeniorCare program, but the governor will sign into law two other changes that will increase costs for those elderly.

Announcing vetoes in the popular SeniorCare program, which helps 91,500 low-income residents over 65 pay for their prescriptions, the governor said the higher co-payment for brand-name drugs unfairly "singled out" the elderly.

"I will veto their increase to make this more affordable for seniors," Doyle said, referring to Republican legislators who voted to raise the co-payments on brand-name drugs from $15 to $20. He called the lower co-payment a "key" to SeniorCare, since it is a charge on every drug purchase.

Doyle aide Dan Leistikow estimated that SeniorCare participants will save about $10 million by mid-2005 because of Doyle's veto.

Neither Doyle nor Republicans tried to raise the co-payment on generic drugs, which …