Secretary Leavitt discusses plans after Bush administration dissolves


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Former Utah governor and current Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt returned to Utah today, urging Utahns to compare Medicare health and drug plans.

His visit comes as the administration he is a part of is winding down. He probably has several options open to him when he leaves the Bush administration, but today he seemed immersed in that job, planning trips overseas between the holidays, as a matter of fact.

When we were able to catch him alone for a few minutes this afternoon, we asked him to address the talk in political circles that he might be the next leader of the Republican Party, the RNC.

Secretary Leavitt discusses plans after Bush administration dissolves

"There has been a fair amount of discussion about that in the media, and I have had a few people call me, but I don't see a big groundswell pushing me in that direction, and it's not something I've spent a great deal of time thinking about. During the course of the Thanksgiving holiday, I will be starting to think about my future, but that's not a big part of my thoughts or plans right now," Leavitt said.

Leavitt is in town for Thanksgiving. He says one of his ongoing projects is globalizing the FDA, and he's heading to China after the holiday.

Secretary Leavitt discusses plans after Bush administration dissolves

Today, he took the opportunity to attend a news conference about Medicare's open enrollment. Leavitt says that reviewing Medicare plans can save money and create better coverage.

"Part of the importance of this is to encourage seniors, if they feel their premium went up, to shop around. In 97 percent of the cases, seniors can find a plan that's less money," Leavitt said.

This is part of the Medicare part "D" coverage that started a couple years ago. Under the plan, about 80 percent of Utah seniors now have expanded coverage, including prescription benefits.

For more information on Medicare plans, CLICK HERE or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com

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Richard Piatt

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