Tierney Backs Prescription Drug Plan that Lowers Prescription Drug Prices for Seniors
Today, Congressman John F. Tierney (D-Salem) joined Congressional colleagues in voting for H.R. 4, a bi-partisan bill aimed at cutting prescription drug prices for millions of senior. The bill will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of those who are enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans.
"Some of the potentially disastrous effects of the Medicare Part D bill -- which I vehemently opposed -- can be reversed if the Administration uses this new authority. Now that democrats are in the majority, Congress will no longer put the special interest of HMOs and big drug companies before the needs of seniors," said Tierney.
Starting January 1, 2006, Medicare offered prescription drug coverage through new private drug plans and through "managed care" plans (now called "Medicare Advantage" plans) and the 2003 law prohibited the Secretary from negotiating lower prices. Congressman Tierney opposed both the structure and the implementation of the new prescription drug plan.
"Medicare should be allowed to negotiate lower drug prices for its beneficiaries, just as the VA does now with great success. It is the obligation of our government to see that all seniors have affordable access to needed medications. It is now up to the Administration to make this work, and to Congress to use its oversight power to ensure that it does so," said Tierney.
Congressman Tierney was a co-sponsor of the Medicare Drugs for Seniors (MEDS) Act of 2006 (H.R. 4697), which was filed to simplify the program and allow Medicare to negotiate on behalf of all seniors for lower drug prices thus, lowering costs. The Congressman has been consistently working on this issue because drug prices under the current Medicare prescription drug plan are more than eighty percent higher than prices negotiated by other agencies in the federal government and more than sixty percent higher than prices in Canada. In 2007, many beneficiaries in private drug plans will see their premiums increase by an average of ten percent, and some premiums will rise more than six-fold if they stay in the same plan.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 255 to 170.
http://www.house.gov/tierney/press/pdrugs01122007.shtml