These approvals will now allow those infected with HIV more access to these life-saving drugs within our country.

We have all been touched by this tragedy and profound sadness, grief and anger are normal reactions that many people may experience, … We want people to know that we have a nationwide team of...

Every community is different and requires a different approach,

President Bush is releasing this emergency energy assistance to help children, families and communities throughout the Gulf region in their urgent time of need.

No one on this board knew what was going on,

[The United States is unprepared for the next flu pandemic, lacking the manufacturing capacity to provide 300 million doses of a vaccine for three to five more years, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt...

The problem with a pandemic is, anything you say before it sounds alarmist. There is a dilemma here. Pandemics happen. They don’t happen frequently enough that we live in fear day to day, but they...

We will use the full array of administrative tools to ensure that the plans live up to the terms of their contract. Further, we would expect that poor performing plans would likely not be participating...

If one thinks of the world as though it were a vast forest, if there is a spark in the forest and you are there to see it, you are able to simply snuff it...

We need to be moving boldly in redeveloping this (influenza vaccine) industry,

Another option is for us to rework and resize the Games in a way that will fit within the available Olympic revenues,

But many have done so. And 52 days into the sign-up period we have 25 million people enrolled these many plans.

This is an event that was a good thing to have and now it’s an event we have to have,

If ever there was a case for health IT, this is it. This disaster underscores the need,

H5N1 is mostly an animal disease today. To stop it from spreading to humans, we have to stop it in birds,

The federal government can deliver stockpiles of medication and supplies to a city in the U.S. in a matter of hours, but it is distribution at the state and local level that defines victory,

This afternoon, I’ve declared a public health emergency for the entire Gulf region. That will have the effect of dramatically simplifying and accelerating the procedures necessary to expedite emergency actions,

It’s a world-changing event when it occurs, … It reaches beyond health. It affects economies, cultures, politics and prosperity not to mention human life, counted by the millions.

What’s the probability of (a pandemic) happening again during the next decade? We don’t know, but the warning signs are clearly troubling ? so troubling that no nation on Earth can afford to ignore this,

People need to sign up by May 15. From that day forward, it becomes more expensive.

We are filling over one million prescriptions a day and the system is getting smoother every day.

It’s a situation that’s ripe for counterfeiting. The WHO [World Health Organization] now indicates that counterfeit drug making is a $34 billion?a-year industry. We’re seeing it in many other instances.

That particular virus and the one we’re seeing now can be a vicious killer.

Sharing successful best practices will be valuable to providers nationwide seeking to implement health IT systems that will improve patient safety and reduce hassle, … These grants help move our health care system closer to...

I’m persuaded that the plans now know more about what the consumers want.

It is still a primary, … People still have an opportunity to express their view and participate in the nomination of the presidential candidate. We’ve never had that before.

Having more manufacturers of influenza vaccine licensed in the U.S., and having more vaccine dosages, is critical to public health,

It is a situation that is ripe for counterfeiting, … We are seeing it in many other instances.

Enrollment may start off slowly, but we’re confident that over time seniors are going to like the benefit, … It saves them money. It helps them stay healthy. And it gives them the peace of...

One year later, we surveyed those people [who had been added with limited coverage], and there were two schools of thought. One [group] was grateful, and the other said they needed more. But one year...

We have been discussing ways in which we could shorten the time frames and broaden our production capabilities

It’s become clear the demand of several hundred thousand evacuees leaving the state of Louisiana and Mississippi for other states will put significant stress on public medical capacity within major cities, and we’re actively pursuing...

We are…erecting a network of up to 40 medical shelters,

Enrollment has substantially exceeded expectations and we are well on track to serve our goal of 28 to 30 million people.

We were working on pandemic planning long before Katrina,

However if it’s allowed to burn for an hour or two hours, it often becomes uncontainable. The only thing possible then is to try to move people or assets out of its way.

What is the probability that it will occur? No one knows, but signs that have occurred in Turkey and Romania and other countries along the natural flyways are certainly troubling signs,

The only people that have been having problems have been the ones that have signed up late. A small number have encountered a wait.

It must be made absolutely clear that the actions of a few do not reflect the values, moral expectations or standards of behavior of this community and state. We deplore it, and we revolt at...

It would be my assessment that no nation is adequately prepared for a pandemic avian flu, … (However) I believe that most nations are improving and preparation is increasing.

We recommend that people call their physicians before they go, and be persistent and patient. It’s important.

This is an important day, maybe the most important date since Medicare was put into law 40 years ago,

These countermeasures provide us with tools that we have never had prior to previous influenza pandemics, … Never before have we possessed the wealth of knowledge on the problem and the ability to prepare for...

Seniors want to hear about this over and over again, … Because to them it is a very significant change in their life. . . . This isn’t about the fact that it’s available. What...

There are too many Americans that are without basic health insurance. And those that do have it are paying too much. The fact is the cost of health insurance is eating us up, and we...

We’ve identified 2,600 beds in hospitals in the 12-state area. In addition to that, we’ve identified 40,000 beds nationwide, should they be needed,

We are committed to fix every problem as quickly as possible. Every day, we expect improvements. Many members have never had drug benefits. They’re gaining the peace of mind knowing they have help to pay...

their critical involvement and personal commitment to preparedness and response.

This agreement will help speed the process of developing vaccines we will need to fight an outbreak if the avian flu starts to spread rapidly through the human population.

The natural evolution now will be for the shelters to see the pace of patient influx slow, and that is now happening,