MEDICARE DRUG CARDS A RAW DEAL FOR SENIORS

[Guest guest]

MEDICARE DRUG CARDS A RAW DEAL FOR SENIORS

Mark McClellan, the Administration's top Medicare official, claims that the

new prescription drug cards being offered by the government will provide

" significant price reductions off typical retail prices " for seniors

[1]. But a

new study by the House Government Reform Committee reveals that McClellan's

claim is not true - in fact, many seniors would pay more for drugs using the

" discount " cards (which cost up to $30 a year) than they would paying

retail [2].

The study found that a one month supply of the ten best selling name brand

drugs cost more using Medicare drug cards offered by Pharmacy Care Alliance

($1,061), RxSavings ($1,046) or Walgreens ($990) than paying retail at

Drugstore.com ($959). In Canada the same drugs cost just $596 - 60% less

than the lowest priced drug card - but the Administration continues to fight

the efforts of seniors to obtain affordable prescription drugs there. [3]

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy said that the

competition among providers will cause " prices to continue to fall. " [4]

But

the restrictions the Administration has placed on which cards seniors can

use makes that unlikely. Once seniors select a card they are locked in until

the end of 2004 and can change only once - in the fall, when enrollment for

next year's program begins. [5] Meanwhile, corporations offering drug

cards can

change their prices once a week. Even if the prices for prescription drugs

rise dramatically with the card a senior selects, that senior cannot switch

cards before 2005.

Sources:

1. " White House Promoting Medicare Drug Card " , AP, 4/29/04,

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338755&l=32636.

2. " New Medicare Drug Cards Offer Few Discounts " , Minority Staff of the

House Committee on Government Reform, April 2004,

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338755&l=32637.

3. " FDA, States at Odds Over Drugs " , Washington Post, 2/22/04,

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338755&l=32638.

4. " U.S. Offers Seniors Drug Cards Amid Criticism " , Reuters, 5/3/04,

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338755&l=32639.

5. " Web Still Helps the Medicine Go Down " , Washington Post, 4/30/04,

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338755&l=32640.

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