(Washington, D.C.)–Last night, the Republican Leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives pushed through Medicare reform legislation that fails to provide Rhode Island seniors with affordable prescription drugs and instead gives a financial windfall to drug and health insurance companies.  Congressman Jim Langevin voted in favor of a Democratic substitute measure that would have provided much-needed cost relief and a meaningful prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries.  However, that proposal failed to muster support among House Republicans.

“The Republican bill fails to address the rapidly rising cost of prescription drugs that will soon render this benefit meaningless,” said Congressman Langevin.  “This sham of a prescription drug plan contains tremendous gaps in coverage that will result in less help for those who need it most.  Most frightening are the alterations to the structure and entitlement of Medicare by requiring the program to compete with private plans beginning in 2010.  Rhode Island seniors do not need a Harvard Pilgrim prescription drug plan.”

Under the bill, seniors would have to sign up for private, drug-only plans in order to have access to prescription drugs.  These plans could vary in scope, raise premiums each year, or even pull out of an area abruptly.  Starting in 2010, increased emphasis would be placed on private health plans, threatening the stability of Medicare.  Furthermore, the bill fails to take any measures to reduce the rapidly increasing cost of prescription medications. 

Late Wednesday night, Langevin offered an amendment that would have stricken a clause in the legislation that prevents the Medicare Administrator from leveraging the purchasing power of 40 million Medicare recipients to negotiate lower drug prices for beneficiaries.  Supporters of an affordable prescription drug plan have repeatedly touted the enormous bulk purchasing power of the federal government.  Currently, Medicare does not purchase medications in bulk, leaving seniors to fend for themselves against spiraling drug costs.

“I find it incredibly disturbing that the leadership would snub those Americans who are in the greatest of need,” said Congressman Langevin.  “Rather than provide fixed-income older Americans with affordable medication, the Leadership awarded the top income earners of this nation with a hefty tax cut.  Unfortunately, this legislation helps the profit-hungry drug companies rather than our seniors.”

Earlier this week, Congressman Langevin and the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians announced the results of a survey taken among Rhode Island's Medicare beneficiaries that found that seniors: spend more than $100.00 per month on prescription drugs; do not take medication exactly as prescribed due to cost; skip medication to make their prescriptions last longer; are prevented from filling a prescription or refill on time at least once a month due to cost; rely on free samples from the physician's office; cite cost as the greatest barrier to taking their prescriptions; and rely upon the Pharmacy Assistance Program for their medication.

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