Wall Demands Action To Fix Medicare Prescription Plan And Allow Negotiating For Cheaper Drugs

Wall Demands Action To Fix Medicare Prescription Plan And Allow Negotiating For Cheaper Drugs

With seniors struggling with the complexity and unfairness of the new Medicare drug bill, Jamie Wall, Democratic candidate for Congress, today called on Congress to admit its mistake and re-write a law that fails thousands of seniors in Northeast Wisconsin.

"We need a prescription drug benefit that works for senior citizens, not the pharmaceutical industry," Wall said. "Congress let the drug companies write the rules, and our seniors are suffering as a result."

Wall notes, "As seniors struggle with dozens of forms, mailings, and telemarketing calls, they are realizing how far this plan is from what they need and deserve."

Wall called for three changes to the drug bill:

• Allowing the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies instead of simply allowing them to dictate prices;

• Delaying the deadline for enrollment by six months to allow seniors to sort through the complexities of the program; and

• Removing provisions that would punish seniors for honest mistakes in choosing a plan.

"Current law prohibits the government from negotiating for lower drug prices for our seniors. That's just wrong." Wall said. "It is deeply troubling that so few seniors understand the new drug bill. In Congress, I will fight to make this plan work for our senior citizens."

A recent study conducted by the Kaiser Foundation showed that only 13% of older Americans believed they understood the new program "very well."

"When Congress designed a plan to help the big drug companies instead of Wisconsin's seniors, real people suffered," said Wall. "I want to go to Congress to hold the drug companies accountable to the needs of our seniors."

http://www.wallforcongress.com/medicare_statement