Alexandria, VA (September 21, 2004) - A record-setting 17.5% Medicare premium increase is proof the government should promptly lift the ban on reimportation of prescription drugs, states a nonpartisan senior advocacy organization. "With the highest Medicare premium increase in the program history, the government has demonstrated a very clear need to cut costs for both beneficiaries and the program," declares George Smith, Chairman of TREA Senior Citizens League (TSCL). "The rapid rise in premiums and other out-of-pocket costs are likely to worsen when new Medicare drug plans take effect in 2006, because recent Medicare drug legislation forbids the federal government from negotiating lower drug costs," Smith points out.
"Reimportation of less expensive prescription drugs from Canada and other nations is vital to helping seniors and other consumers keep their costs under control," Smith observes. "The disparity of drug costs between theUnited States, Canada and Europe is striking," Smith explains.
"According to a number of studies, drug costs in Canada and Europe can be 60% less than here in the United States. No wonder many U.S. seniors and consumers simply can't afford their drugs anymore," he notes. According to the Manitoba International Pharmacists, one million U.S. consumers are buying their prescription medications from Canadian pharmacies. "There have been no reported deaths from these drugs," Smith observes. "Furthermore, there's a far more genuine health risk for seniors who don't fill their prescriptions because they can't afford their medications." Smith points out.
Despite the ban on reimportation, a growing number of state and local governments have either launched, or have announced plans to launch, pilot programs to help state residents safely purchase more affordable drugs from Canada. Recently the state of Vermont became the first state to sue the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for rejecting a plan to import prescription drugs from Canada.[1] The state of Illinois became the first to announce a web site that will include state-inspected and approved pharmacies and wholesalers in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as Canada.[2]
"TSCL supports state and local government efforts to create a pilot program to demonstrate that prescription drugs can be reimported safely, and can save both consumers and taxpayers billions," Smith says. "Congress should take heed and complete the business of enacting legitimate legislation that will help U.S. seniors, consumers and taxpayers cut their drug costs and live a more healthy life.
"TSCL endorses S. 2328, reimportation legislation sponsored by Senators Byron Dorgan and Olympia Snowe that addresses both safety and effectiveness issues needed for effective implementation," Smith notes. This legislation has provisions to prevent drug companies from thwarting reimportation either through the limitation of supplies or other measures. "We urge seniors and other consumers to keep up the pressure. Please contact your Members of Congress to voice your support for access to these less costly prescription drugs," Smith states.
TSCL is a national group of politically active seniors concerned about the protection of their earned Social Security, Medicare, military, and other retirement benefits. TSCL members participate in a number of grassroots lobbying and public education campaigns designed to ensure governmental bodies, including the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, live up to their commitments. For more free information, please contact TREA Senior Citizens League, Department S607P, 909 N. Washington St., Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314, or visit our website at: www.tscl.org
[1] "States Challenge FDA in Fight Over Drug Reimportation", Tanya Albert, American Medical News, September 6, 2004.
[2] Ibid.
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