|
|
 PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS
|
 |
|
|
|
America has over
40 million elderly and disabled Americans who rely on prescription
medication to maintain their way of life. Over the past few
years, prescription drug costs have skyrocketed and I believe
a real prescription drug benefit plan for seniors is long
overdue.
Unfortunately, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement,
and Modernization Act (MMA) signed into law by the President,
P.L. 108-173, does little to help seniors. It does not address
the astronomical cost of prescription drugs, leaves a huge
coverage gap, and penalizes those who did not sign up before
May 15, 2006.
To help seniors with the Medicare and prescription drugs,
I have introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation
Act (H.R. 2685) which would allow the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical
companies to achieve discounts for Medicare beneficiaries.
I’ve also introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug
Flexibility for Seniors Act (H.R. 4410) which would extend
the initial enrollment period by 2 years, allow beneficiaries
to change plans if the plan sponsor alters its formulary,
and penalizes retirement health plans that provide misleading
information about their coverage. Finally, if the federal
government isn’t permitted to negotiate on behalf of
its citizens, I support prescription drug importation so that
seniors can go elsewhere to obtain less expensive medicine.
The following are bills I have cosponsored:
• The Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice
Act (H.R.
752) to create a nationwide prescription drug plan to
be run by the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
• the Medicare Informed Choice Act (H.R.
3861) to extend the deadline for choosing a plan until
the end of 2006;
• the Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee
Act (H.R.
4685) to increase seniors' ability to change plans and
reimburse states and entities which covered the cost of drugs
during the initial enrollment period;
• the Medicare Drug Formulary Protection Act (H.R.
5102) to prevent prescription drug plans from removing
a drug from their formulary until the open enrollment period;
• the Choice for America’s Seniors Act (H.R.
5116) to extend the initial enrollment period by 6 months,
suspend the late enrollment fee for 2006, permit beneficiaries
to change enrollment once a year, and prevent arbitrary changes
in formularies.
|
|
 |
|
