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Tough Questions To Ask When The Campaign Comes To Town With the entire House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the White House up for grabs this election season, senior votes will be especially sought after as incumbents try to maintain control of the House and Senate. How do you sort through the claims, excuses, finger-pointing, and promises? Here are some tough questions to ask on the issues: How Should rising Drug Costs Be Contained Under A Prescription Drug Plan? What to ask: What do you feel is the best way to achieve more affordable drug prices? U.S. prescription drug spending is estimated to increase as much as 18% annually over the next five years according to some health insurers. Surveys have found that the most popular drugs often cost up to four times as much in the United States as in other industrialized nations. Americans as a whole pay about one-third more for their prescription drugs than people in other industrialized nations, prompting many seniors to take trips across the borders for cheaper prescription drugs. Recently the state of Maine approved legislation that would clamp sweeping price controls on prescription medications sold in the state. The law establishes a board to set suggested lower prices. If the prices do not fall, then as of October 1, 2001 the board would mandate that all drugs sold in the state cost no more than they would in Canada. Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would require drug manufacturers to sell prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries at a lower or equal price as they charge to other large purchasers such as Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and the federal Veterans Administration. Another legislative initiative would allow the importation of cheaper FDA approved drugs from Canada, Mexico and other foreign countries. TSCL supports these measures. Source: "Towers Perrin Survey Projects Double-Digit Growth In Health Care Costs," Towers Perrin, January 10, 2000. "Maine Passes Law To Set Drug Prices," Carey Goldberg, The New York Times, April 12, 2000.
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