In particular, the legislation provides many new benefits, benefits like respite care and prescription drugs. since these have never been covered by medicare, we have no real way of knowing how much these services will cost … the program, after all, is to be paid for by the elderly themselves. so, we must control the costs of these new benefits, or we'll harm the very people we're trying to . and yet, if administered with prudence, this program can, as i said, provide countless americans with peace of mind.—president reagan, 1988 the expansion of medicare directly contradicted which of president reagan's political platforms? reduction of federal taxes elimination of governmental controls over business reduction of government elimination of medical insurance requirements