WAKE -UP CALL To All Senior Citizens

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> S

> Tue, 7 Sep 2004 13:37:46 -0700 (PDT)

> WAKE -UP CALL To All Senior Citizens

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> WAKE -UP CALL To All Senior Citizens

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> September 05, 2004

 

>http://www.independent-media.tv

>

> By: Evelyn Pringle

> Independent Media TV Independent Media TV -->

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>

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> Material by:

> Evelyn Pringle

>

> Material from:

> Independent Media TV

>

> Material about:

> The Bush Prescription: 4 Part Series

>

> Material about:

> Bush Administration Lies and Deceit

>

> Material about:

> Legislation and Policy

>

> Material about:

> Health

>

> In December 2003, Bush signed the new Medicare

> Prescription Drug and Modernization Act into law.

> Many seniors expected it to provide much needed

> relief from escalating health care costs. That has

> not happened and it will not happen until we get

> Bush and his cronies in the health care industry out

> of the White House.

> The new law was supposed to be a boost for Bush's

> reelection campaign. However, it is now being

> criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, and

> by just about every senior citizen advocacy group in

> the country.

> Bush tries to portray the law with its prescription

> drug benefit as a windfall for seniors; when in fact

> it is nothing but a scam that benefits insurance

> companies, drug makers and health care providers.

> Largest Premium Increase In History Of Medicare

> According to a September 4, 2004 article by the

> Associated Press, Medicare premiums for Part A,

> which covers doctor visits and other non-hospital

> expenses will rise by 17% in 2005. It will be the

> largest increase is the program's 40-year-history.

> Monthly payments will jump to $78.20, up from

> $66.60.

> Mark McClellan, administrator for the federal

> Centers for Medicare and Medical Services, said the

> increase reflects rapidly rising health costs and

> last year's Medicare overhaul.

> Well Bush and his allies in Congress can take full

> credit for the increase that resulted from the

> " overhaul " because they are the ones responsible for

> pushing through the health care industry's favored

> version of the bill that got seniors into this mess

> to begin with.

> This latest rise should come as no surprise anyways.

> Medicare premiums have skyrocketed ever since Bush

> took office. They rose by 8.7% in 2003, and 13.5% in

> 2004.

> In addition to the rise in premiums, the deductible

> for Medicare Part A will also rise to $912 in 2005,

> up from $876; and the deductible for Part B will

> rise to $110.

> Bush chose an odd time to release this news.

> According to the NYTs, " In years past, the premium

> increases have been announced in October at the same

> time that cost-of-living increases to Social

> Security checks are announced. The twin

> announcements allow the elderly to calculate how

> much they will be receiving the following year. "

> I wonder why Bush didn't wait until October to make

> this announcement? Or better yet, why didn't he give

> senior citizens the good news during his convention

> speech while he was bragging about his efforts to

> help the elderly cope with increased medical costs?

> True to form, Bush released the bad news in his

> usual manner, on a Friday afternoon, and this time

> with the added benefit of a holiday weekend and a

> news cycle dominated by stories about a hurricane.

> " This is a cynical attempt to bury bad news by

> leaking it out when you hope no one is watching, "

> said Rep Pete Stark, D-Calif. " This administration

> has had four years to improve Medicare and instead

> have made it worse. Today's news reflects the

> reality, not rhetoric, of this administration's bad

> record on Medicare. "

> Robert Hayes, president of Medicare Rights Center,

> called the increase " a body blow to millions of

> older Americans living on fixed incomes, " and said

> the increase will be especially painful because

> Social Security payments are expected to rise by

> less than 3%.

> Every dime counts for people on fixed incomes. The

> median annual income for senior citizens aged 65 and

> older was only $23,048 in 2003, or less than $2,000

> a month, according to an August 26, 2004 report by

> the US Census Bureau.

> According to the Washington Post, when the new

> Medicare law is fully implemented in 2006, the

> typical retiree who purchases traditional Medicare

> coverage and the drug benefit will pay more than

> $115 in monthly premiums, a $110 annual deductible

> for outpatient care, and co-payments for physician

> visits and medications.

> McClellan claims that most of the increase will

> cover the program's new prescription drug coverage

> and preventive services, including an initial

> physical exam and other tests. And Bush spokesman,

> Scott Stanzel said " President Bush has worked to

> increase health care access and affordability,

> including guaranteeing Medicare recipients

> prescription drugs. "

> Wait a minute here. If the money is going to pay for

> the new prescription drug benefit, how are seniors

> saving any money? Let me get this straight, seniors

> are supposed to get a discount on drugs, but now

> Bush says that Medicare will pay for the discount

> with a rise in their monthly premiums.

> Will somebody please explain the new " prescription

> drug benefit " to me because just like with so many

> of Bush's helpful policies, I don't get it.

> On Top Of Rising Prescription Drugs Prices

> The 17% increase in premiums comes on top of the

> escalating cost of prescription drugs. Experts say

> the elderly cannot withstand such a large increase

> on top of rising drug costs.

> According to President of Medicare Rights Center,

> Robert Hayes, " Older Americans already are

> staggering under the relentless increases in the

> cost of prescription drugs, " he said. " More older

> Americans will face harsh choices in meeting basic

> human needs--health, food and housing. "

> The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. " After doing

> nothing about the record increases in the cost of

> healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is

> presiding over a Medicare system that is socking

> seniors with the largest premium hike in the

> program's 40-year history, " said spokesman Phil

> Singer.

> In the Salt Lake Tribune, Darrell Butler, manager

> with Salt Lake County Aging Services, said " if it

> was a 5 to 8% rise, it wouldn't have surprised me as

> much, " he said. " But 17% is overwhelming. What it

> will end up doing is force a lot more people into

> making tough decisions about whether to buy food or

> spend their money on prescription drugs.

> " They'll take their medications every other day or

> cut them in half to try to make ends meet, " Butler

> said. " This is terrible news. "

> Kerry spokesman Singer says, " When it comes to

> helping seniors, George Bush has proven that he's

> taking us in the wrong direction by giving billions

> to the drug industry while keeping seniors from

> accessing cheaper prescription drugs. "

> Astronomical Increases In Prescription Drug Prices

> Seniors will not see cheaper prescription prices

> when the full bill goes into effect in 2006, because

> it does nothing to control the rising cost of drugs.

> In fact, according to Consumers Union, " most

> beneficiaries will face higher out-of-pocket costs

> for prescription drugs after full implementation,

> despite the benefit. " (Consumers Union, 11/17/03)

> In June 2004, the advocacy group, " Families USA "

> released the results of a study that tracked price

> changes for the top 30 brand name drugs prescribed

> to seniors, in a report called: " Sticker Shock:

> Rising Prescription Drug Prices For Seniors. The

> study concluded that, " Like used car buyers drawn by

> the promise of a rebate#26784;nly to find that the

> base price has risen dramatically#26789;eniors

> purchasing a new drug discount card may succumb to

> #25618;ticker shock.?

> In determining the most frequently used drugs, the

> study used data from the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical

> Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program,

> the largest prescription drug program for senior

> citizens in the country. Price histories were

> obtained from MDDB Select, a Medi-Span database.

> Since 1999, Families has continuously monitored

> price increases of the 50 most popular drugs used by

> seniors. All of the 30 brand-name drugs selected for

> its Sticker Shock study were in the top 50. Its

> report provides a framework for determining whether

> the discounts cards make prescription drugs more

> affordable.

> According to the report, between January 2001 and

> January 2004, the prices of the top 30 drugs

> increased by nearly 22%. On average, the cost of the

> drugs increased by 6.5%, while the overall rate of

> inflation, excluding energy, was only 1.5% for the

> same period.

> Of these 30 drugs, 28 increased in price by 2 or

> more times the rate of inflation; 21 increased by

> three or more times the rate, and 14 increased in

> price by more than 5 times the rate of inflation.

> With some drugs the rate of increase was even

> higher. For instance, the cost of Combivent, used to

> treat respiratory conditions, increased by 13.2

> times the rate of inflation. Alphagan P, used to

> treat glaucoma, and Evista, an osteoporosis

> treatment, each increased by 10.3 times the rate.

> Diovan, used to treat high blood pressure, increased

> by 8.6 times the rate. Detrol LA, a treatment for

> overactive bladder, increased in price by 8.5 times

> the rate. Xalatan, used to treat glaucoma, increased

> in price by 6.8 times the rate.

> The cost of the following 8 drugs went up by more

> than 5 times the rate of inflation: Lipitor, used to

> lower cholesterol; Plavix, used to prevent blood

> clots; Norvasc, used to treat high blood pressure;

> Celebrex, used for arthritis and joint pain;

> Protonix, used for gastric reflux; Cozaar, used for

> high blood pressure; and Celexa, used to treat

> depression.

> Prices of the drugs also increased often. Fifteen of

> the 30 had more than one price increase in the 1

> year period from January 2003 to January 2004.

> Two-thirds of the drugs increased in price more than

> 3 times. The price of Toprol XL increased 7 times,

> Combivent 6 times; and Celexa 5 times.

> Bush claims that by using Medicare's new

> prescription discount cards, seniors would receive a

> discount of 10 to 25%. That's bull. The truth is

> that after combining the 22% increase in drug costs

> over the past 3 years with the steady rise in

> premiums (8.7% in 2003, 13.5% in 2004, and 17% in

> 2005), seniors will get a minus % discount.

> 0% Discount - Card Prices Verses Non-Card Prices

> Because the new Medicare bill contains provisions

> that bar the importation of drugs from other

> countries and bans Medicare from negotiating lower

> prices like the Veteran's Administration does for

> vets, seniors who use a prescription drug discount

> card will save little, if any, money on the cost of

> drugs.

> In April 2004, the minority staff of the House

> Government Reform Committee, released a study that

> compared prices available to seniors who would pay

> the $30 to buy a card, against prices available to

> seniors who did not.

> The study used prices from 3 card providers,

> ExpressScripts, Advance (Advance is owned by

> Bush-buddy Halbert who was allowed to craft major

> portions of the bill), and Walgreens. Prices of

> these companies were similar to all others. The

> drugs used in the study represent a month's supply

> of the top 10 brand-name drugs used by seniors.

> The study compared the card prices to (1) prices in

> Canada; (2) prices negotiated by the Department of

> Veterans Affairs; and (3) prices charged by internet

> outlets Drugstore.com and Costco.com.

> The study found card prices much higher than prices

> in Canada. A month's supply of the 10 drugs in

> Canada cost $596, while prices were $972 with

> Walgreens, $1,046 with Advance, and $1,061 with

> Express. The average card price was 72% higher than

> in Canada.

> The Committee found that the difference for some

> drugs exceeded 100%. For instance, Celebrex, costs

> $81.28 at Walgreens, but only $38.69 in Canada;

> Prevacid was $129.68 with Express, but only $56.54

> in Canada.

> The comparison to drugs purchased by the VA, also

> found card prices much higher. With the VA the10

> drugs cost $587, while the average price with the

> cards was $1,026, more than 75% higher.

> A month's supply of the drugs even costs less on

> internet sights Drugstore.com and Costco.com. While

> the average card price is $1,026, the drugs would

> only cost $959 at Drugstore.com. Specific drugs like

> Lipitor, show Walgreens at $67.44, and Drugstore.com

> at $62.99; Prevacid costs $129.68 with Express, but

> only $122.57 at Costco.com.

> Prices for generic prices were also spiked. The Wall

> Street Journal found pharmacies buying generic drugs

> for a few cents and marking them up nearly 200%. For

> example, a 90-day supply of generic Prozac costs

> only $4, and is sold for $14.94 at Costco.com. Yet

> the Medicare website showed one card sponsor

> charging $84.15.

> The cold hard truth is that senior citizens were

> conned into believing that Bush wanted to help them,

> when in reality the much touted prescription

> discount card program is nothing but a scam. Why do

> I say this? For starters, multiply the $30 price per

> card by Medicare's 43 million members and see how

> much it comes to.

> Seniors Forced To Pick Up Tab For Advertising

> Increased spending for advertising is driving up

> drug costs and seniors are being forced to pick up

> the tab. AARP has been tracking how much drug

> companies spend advertising the drugs most used by

> seniors. It found dramatic increases in the price of

> drugs being advertised, a fact that ARRP says, " begs

> the question of who#25263; picking up the tab. "

> For a quick answer to that question, check out how

> much advertising was done right before the card

> program went into effect in June. In the first 5

> months of 2004, Bristol-Myers Squibb spent about $35

> million advertising the blood thinner Plavix, and

> the price for Plavix rose by 7.9%. Bristol-Myers

> also spent about $7.2 million to advertise the

> cholesterol drug Pravachol; its price rose 7%. Merck

> spent $42 million to advertise Zocor, another

> cholesterol drug, and the price to wholesalers rose

> 25.8%.

> The drug Nexium (used to treat heartburn), is a good

> example of how well advertising pays off. Last year

> the drugmaker AstraZeneca spent $411 million

> promoting it. In return, Nexium sales reached $3.3

> billion, making it the 7th largest selling brand

> name drug in the US, according to the trade

> publication Pharmaceutical Executive. Democratic Rep

> Henry Waxman recently released a study that showed

> that in one month between May 3 and June 3, 2004,

> the price of Nexium increased by 13%.

> Make no mistake, the elderly are paying the

> advertising bills for drugmakers.

> WAKE-UP CALL

> The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. " After doing

> nothing about the record increases in the cost of

> healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is

> presiding over a Medicare system that is socking

> seniors with the largest premium hike in the

> program's 40-year history, " said Kerry spokesman

> Singer.

> Bloomberg.com says Medicare patients have already

> paid $720 million more in out of pocket expenses for

> premium and deductible increases this year than in

> 2003, according to the annual report by Medicare's

> trustees. Enough is enough!

> Seniors need a Wake-Up call before they head to the

> polls on November 2, 2004. If Bush gets reelected

> they better prepare for more assaults on their

> retirement nest eggs. Look at what his cronies in

> the health care industry managed pull off even while

> Bush was facing reelection. Who knows what new scams

> they have planned for the next 4 years.

> By Evelyn Pringle e.pringle

>

>

> Original Link: http://www.independent-media.tv

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> © Copyright 2004 Independent Media TV

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