Legislative Update: Work Continues Toward Lifting the Ban on Drug Importation

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Legislative Update: Work Continues Toward Lifting the Ban on Drug Importation

By Patty Gaul, Director of Legislative Affairs, TREA Senior Citizens League

Congress has passed a Medicare prescription drug bill, after six years of often-contentious debate. The final bill is aptly described by a New York Times analysis as “An Imperfect Compromise.”

One provision strongly supported by TSCL, but rejected from inclusion in the final legislation, would have allowed the importation of less expensive prescription drugs from Canada and abroad. Support for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada is widespread. H.R. 2427—“The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act”—introduced by Representatives Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), passed the House in July by a wide margin. Several governors, mayors and other local leaders are looking into the feasibility of importing drugs to save their financially strapped states or municipalities money.

In late October, a Senate companion to the House bill was introduced—S. 1781. Shortly before Congress recessed for Thanksgiving, TSCL’s David Funderburk was invited to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on the issue of drug importation. In his testimony, Dr. Funderburk described how the high cost of prescription drugs affects one TSCL supporter who wrote, “I don’t get enough Social Security for my medication and had to quit taking a couple of them….” Further, since this TSCL member wrote that e-mail in April of last year, her husband passed away, and the woman had to cut back further on her prescriptions. As Dr. Funderburk said, it is for these seniors that we are fighting so hard for more affordable prescriptions through allowing market access to medicines.

TSCL was pleased to be able to testify, and is excited about momentum that has developed on this issue. Thus, we are going into the second session of the 108th Congress determined to fight for drug importation legislation in 2004.

Also in 2004, the TSCL legislative team will be further reviewing the Medicare prescription drug bill, and study possible changes to provisions within the bill that our supporters and members oppose.

We’re pleased with the efforts to date on legislation that would create a fairer Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for seniors. At the end of 2003, there were 105 co-sponsors of H.R. 2262, the CPI-E bill introduced by Representatives Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Bob Ney (R-OH). We will persist in our efforts to educate Members of Congress and their staffs about this critical legislation, and to work to see that a Senate companion to H.R. 2262 is introduced. With Medicare premiums and prescription drug prices likely to continue seeing hefty rate increases, seniors will need higher cost-of-living adjustments just in order to maintain their standard of living.

February 2004