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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 Thompson 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=1208987&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=1208987&l=32637.
3. "FDA, States at Odds Over Drugs", Washington
Post, 2/22/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=32638.
4. "U.S. Offers Seniors Drug Cards Amid Criticism",
Reuters, 5/3/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=32639.
5. "Web Still Helps the Medicine Go Down", Washington
Post, 4/30/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=32640.
Topplebush.com
Posted: May 10, 2004
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