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Adults Make Themselves Heard on Prescription Drugs
By
Jo Mannies,
STL Post-Dispatch
August 30, 2003
Myrna Fichtenbaum, 73, and
Audrey Vallely, 77, both support a national prescription drug benefit for
the elderly. But they back differing approaches.
Fichtenbaum, of University City, is a member of the Older Women's League -
which joined a cadre of other groups, led by the national Alliance of
Retired Americans, in picketing Wednesday outside the Clayton office of
Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo. They were protesting his
support for a measure that opponents say will force many elderly people
into private insurance plans and threaten the future of Medicare.
On Thursday and Friday, members of the Seniors Coalition, a national group
that backs the bill, held supportive events in St. Charles and St. Louis
counties. The group also stopped by the local office of Rep. Todd Akin,
R-Town and Country, to laud his support of their view.
A Washington spokesman for the Seniors Coalition, Chris Williams, said the
versions backed by Bond and Akin are economically sound and will protect
the rights of elderly people who already have drug coverage through
private insurers. The group claims that some opponents want to force all
elderly people into one costly, government-run benefit program.
Vallely, of Pacific, likes what
she's heard about the measures so far. She testified Wednesday at a
hearing conducted at Harris-Stowe State College by Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo.
Also appearing was Claude Allen, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
This week's focus on the issue comes as area congressional lawmakers are
about to head back to Washington next week. A prescription drug benefit is
slated among the first issues they tackle.
Each of the national lobbying groups claims to have millions of members:
the Alliance of Retired Americans is made up mainly of unions and
community-based groups; the Seniors Coalition is more conservative and,
according to some news accounts, has ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Both sides agree that their debate can be confusing, especially to elderly
Americans, who as a group are most affected by the rising costs of
prescription drugs.
A conference committee is slated to soon deal with the two differing
prescription drug bills that passed the House and Senate in June.
The Alliance of Retired Americans opposes both measures; the Seniors
Coalition prefers the House bill, but Williams said the group can live
with a compromise version.
Under both bills, private plans would provide the drug benefit. The Senate
version would set up a government fallback plan if no private plan - or
only one - is available in an area.
Monthly premiums in either bill would be about $35. Low-income people
would pay lower premiums. Under the Senate plan, a person must spend $275
a year on drugs before receiving benefits. Insurance then would cover half
the additional costs up to $4,500.
Under the House bill, the annual deductible is $250. Insurance then would
cover 80 percent of drug costs from $251 to $2,000. Under the Senate bill,
there would be no coverage for annual drug costs between $4,500 and just
over $5,800. In the House version, the coverage lapses for spending
between $2,000 and about $4,900 a year.
Both measures share a common problem: each exceeds President George W.
Bush's spending limit of $400 billion over 10 years. Republican
congressional leaders have said the final compromise bill will comply with
the limit. Legislators predict that it will be 2006 or later before any
bill goes into effect.
Both the House and Senate versions include a key provision sought by Bush
- encouraging private companies to set up health care plans that would
compete with the current Medicare program.
Backers say that approach would keep down costs and improve care.
Opponents contend that it would shift public money to private insurance
companies and likely lead to reduced health benefits for elderly and
disabled people.
Bob Kortkamp, retired secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Labor Council
and president of the Missouri chapter of the Alliance of Retired
Americans, said his group fears that the insurance companies would impose
limits on which drugs could be purchased and could require large
out-of-pocket premiums.
Williams, with the Seniors Coalition, is more optimistic. "We support
more the private approach," he said. "We think there will be
common ground.”
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