Durbin, Democrats Offer Prescription for Change to Medicare Drug Bill

DURBIN, DEMOCRATS OFFER PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE TO MEDICARE DRUG BILL

Calling it a "special interest fiasco," U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-MI) to offer a "Prescription for Change" to the unpopular and complex Medicare drug benefit.

"Illinois seniors wanted a Medicare benefit that would lower their drug prices," Durbin said. "What they have today is a confusing benefit, a law that prohibits Medicare from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies and a plan that guarantees drug companies billions of dollars in profits. Medicare Part D is a reward for drug companies and a disaster for America's seniors."

Durbin noted that the Medicare drug benefit included a $10 billion "slush fund" for HMOs, and that at least 13 former Republican members of Congress and staffers who wrote the law now work or represent the pharmaceutical industry. Durbin also pointed to recent comments by a leading academic expert on the industry who forecasted that drug companies will make as much as $40 billion over the next ten years in windfall profits.

At the same time, Durbin said, states like Illinois have had to take immediate action to help cover low-income seniors, while hundreds of thousands of seniors across the country are being overcharged and discover that their plan does not cover their most important prescriptions.

"America's seniors are paying a special interest surcharge for this fiasco," Durbin added.

House and Senate Democrats, including Durbin, will hold a series of events next week on the controversial drug benefit program, and will offer seniors and persons with disabilities a series of legislative proposals to improve it.

Durbin and others support providing the Department of Health and Human Services with the authority to negotiate for better prices from the pharmaceutical industry and to give seniors the opportunity to receive benefits directly from Medicare rather than through HMOs. A recent study found that drug prices offered by ten leading private drug plans under the Medicare drug program are more than 80 percent higher than the prices negotiated by the Veterans' Administration.

Legislation is also pending before Congress to ensure that seniors and people with disabilities immediately receive the drugs they need at prices they can afford under the terms of coverage they have been promised. And the Medicare Informed Choice Act Legislation will give seniors and people with disabilities the time they need to navigate the confusing enrollment process and allow them to change plans once during this first chaotic year.

"With more than 130 different drug plans in Illinois, many seniors are frustrated and angry. We must change the benefit to make it fair, reliable and affordable," Durbin said.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=251577&&