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High drug prices continue to plague elderly
BY: Francis Porch, Guest Column
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the law that created the medicine prescription drug benefit, has provided tens of millions of Medicare members the opportunity to obtain needed medications at reduced cost.
But that bill can be strengthened to help older Americans, who use prescription drugs more than any other segment of the market, and the more than 46 million uninsured Americans who are forced to pay among the highest prices in the world for their medications.
Currently, Medicare is prohibited from using the bargaining power of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices. Bulk purchasing is as common sense at the grocery store as it is for Medicare. More people buying one product can negotiate for a lower prices. It is that simple. And I can't think of anything that needs to be lowered more than drug prices. According to an AARP report, brand-name prescription drug prices continue to rise at nearly double the rate of inflation.
Medicare beneficiaries need some ability to control those costs. It's obvious that the drug companies will not do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Those in the Medicare program who have a gap in their coverage (and that is most of us) feel the pain of increased drug prices. It is time to give Medicare the power to handle the drug companies like any other company handles the drug companies: negotiation.
On April 19, despite the support of a majority of the U.S. Senate and nearly 90 percent of voting-age Americans, Senate bill 3, which would have given Medicare the authority to negotiate prescription drug prices with drug companies, was blocked from coming up for a vote on the Senate floor. Sixty votes were necessary for the bill to pass, but it only received 57. A minority of senators, including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, prevented a vote on legislation that could have lowered prescription drug costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Our other Kansas senator, Sam Brownback, did not vote. I contacted his Overland Park office and the person there informed me that Sen. Brownback opposed the bill.
Another measure that would help alleviate our country's skyrocketing prescription drug prices is the Dorgan-Snowe amendment, which sets up a system for the safe importation of lower-priced prescription drugs from abroad. The amendment is part of Senate bill 1082, the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendment. The Dorgan-Snowe amendment was approved by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on May 7 and no roll call exists.
Unfortunately, the Senate added an amendment creating a roadblock for prescription drug importation. Language was added prohibiting importation of prescription drugs unless the secretary of Health and Human Services can certify that it is safe to do so – despite the fact that safety provisions are already built into the bill.
A vote for certification was a vote against the safe and legal importation of prescription drugs.
Sen. Roberts voted in favor of the certification amendment. Sen. Brownback did not vote, but he opposes drug importation.
If you are concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs, I urge you to contact Sens. Roberts and Brownback and tell them you want them to vote for lower prescription drug prices and against the pharmaceutical companies that want huge profits at the expense of Americans.
Francis Porch is vice president of Johnson County AARP, Chapter 2333, Overland Park.
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But that bill can be strengthened to help older Americans, who use prescription drugs more than any other segment of the market, and the more than 46 million uninsured Americans who are forced to pay among the highest prices in the world for their medications.
Currently, Medicare is prohibited from using the bargaining power of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices. Bulk purchasing is as common sense at the grocery store as it is for Medicare. More people buying one product can negotiate for a lower prices. It is that simple. And I can't think of anything that needs to be lowered more than drug prices. According to an AARP report, brand-name prescription drug prices continue to rise at nearly double the rate of inflation.
Medicare beneficiaries need some ability to control those costs. It's obvious that the drug companies will not do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Those in the Medicare program who have a gap in their coverage (and that is most of us) feel the pain of increased drug prices. It is time to give Medicare the power to handle the drug companies like any other company handles the drug companies: negotiation.
On April 19, despite the support of a majority of the U.S. Senate and nearly 90 percent of voting-age Americans, Senate bill 3, which would have given Medicare the authority to negotiate prescription drug prices with drug companies, was blocked from coming up for a vote on the Senate floor. Sixty votes were necessary for the bill to pass, but it only received 57. A minority of senators, including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, prevented a vote on legislation that could have lowered prescription drug costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Our other Kansas senator, Sam Brownback, did not vote. I contacted his Overland Park office and the person there informed me that Sen. Brownback opposed the bill.
Another measure that would help alleviate our country's skyrocketing prescription drug prices is the Dorgan-Snowe amendment, which sets up a system for the safe importation of lower-priced prescription drugs from abroad. The amendment is part of Senate bill 1082, the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendment. The Dorgan-Snowe amendment was approved by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on May 7 and no roll call exists.
Unfortunately, the Senate added an amendment creating a roadblock for prescription drug importation. Language was added prohibiting importation of prescription drugs unless the secretary of Health and Human Services can certify that it is safe to do so – despite the fact that safety provisions are already built into the bill.
A vote for certification was a vote against the safe and legal importation of prescription drugs.
Sen. Roberts voted in favor of the certification amendment. Sen. Brownback did not vote, but he opposes drug importation.
If you are concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs, I urge you to contact Sens. Roberts and Brownback and tell them you want them to vote for lower prescription drug prices and against the pharmaceutical companies that want huge profits at the expense of Americans.
Francis Porch is vice president of Johnson County AARP, Chapter 2333, Overland Park.