07/15/04 AARP’s Bargaining Power

[Poster]

A new survey released by AARP Wednesday, shows that four out of five seniors want a drug importation program in the U.S. The association plans to take their findings to Congress to push a new importation bill through as quickly as possible.


“AARP is rallying around a bipartisan bill - sponsored by Sens. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. - that would set up a certification process for legally importing medicines from selected nations with government drug standards similar to those of the United States.”


"Canada has been used as a Post Office Box for medicine manufactured in other nations like South Africa, where one in five medicines has been found to be counterfeit," said Court Rosen, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.”


To read more go to: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/9154756.htm

[Woerner]

Medicare Too Broke to Fix ?

That's what democrats are saying now that the drug program has proved so confusing. Rather than continue to mend all the issues, Democrats prefer to trash the Bush model and start crafting a brand new Medicare program.

"Unfortunately, the law is so flawed that there is no hope of fixing it," Schakowsky said. "For the sake of our seniors and for people with disabilities, we must scrap this bill entirely and start fresh."

"The prescription drug cards that are the first step of this new plan have not provided the savings that were promised," Schakowsky said."

To read more go to:http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newsse...ial/9180475.htm

[Woerner]

Drug Plan Has Low Enrollment

A new report released by Medicare yesterday shows that enrollment among seniors is much less than what was projected. Critics blame the complexity of the program for the low numbers, but Republicans say the program is picking up steadily.

"Enrollment in the discount card program has reached 3.9 million, slightly more than half the 7.4 million expected to sign up, Dr. Mark B. McClellan said. Of the 3.9 million, 2.5 million were automatically enrolled through Medicare HMO plans."

"Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy in Willimantic, Conn., said she has spoken to hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and found the vast majority confused about the enrollment process."

To read more go to:http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news...ics/9195685.htm