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Gov. Bush, Reno Woo Florida's Senior Vote: Prescription Drug Issues Loom Large in State with 2.8 Million Retirees
FORT MYERS, Florida (AP) --In a state where retirees cast about one-third of the votes, Gov. Jeb Bush and Democratic front-runner Janet Reno are pounding the issue of prescription drugs as they try to woo the pivotal senior vote. The prescription drug issue is expected to be critical in congressional and gubernatorial races nationwide this year, but it could be even more important in Florida, where the state's 2.8 million retirees account for one in four residents. "They really have geared these programs to the seniors because all they're doing is looking at voting patterns and responses," said Darryl Paulson, a University of South Florida political analyst. "They know that the key in Florida to winning elections is winning the senior vote." Bush announced last week that the state has received a federal waiver to expand a prescription drug program for low-income elderly that could reach an additional 58,000 residents. "A whole lot of people, particularly lower income seniors are confronted with this challenge," he told retirees in Fort Myers on Thursday. "They're confronted with the challenge of listening to their doctor's advice ... or having to make a choice of not paying their rent or paying the mortgage." Reno, the former U.S. attorney general, has offered a plan to use the purchasing power of state government to negotiate cheaper drug prices for seniors while targeting companies unwilling to cooperate. "It makes no sense, ladies and gentlemen, to see these prices go up when we can do so much to control by using bulk purchasing and other limitations," Reno said recently to a room full of wheelchair-bound seniors in West Palm Beach. Democrats have chastised Bush's plan for helping only a small portion of the state's retirees, while Bush has labeled the Reno plan "pie in the sky." Reno's main challenger: Bill McBride Tampa lawyer Bill McBride, Reno's main challenger in the Democratic primary, is expected to offer a health care proposal this month. McBride, who has made public education the centerpiece of his campaign, has also played up his military service to court veterans, many of whom are now retired. "His chief priority is improving public education. His other priority is going to be offering adequate health care to the citizens of the state, particularly seniors," said McBride campaign manager Robin Rorapaugh. Retired nurse Dorothy Ogrean, 80, said high health care and medication costs are hard on seniors "in the middle," who are neither poor nor wealthy. "There is quite a percentage that is concerned that if we continue to have the good health that we have -- living many more years -- we will run out of funds," Ogrean said after listening to Bush in Fort Myers. "Everything has become so much more expensive than planned for." FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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