(Circulation. 2000;101:e9050.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Cardiovascular News |
Cardiovascular News
Medicare Prescription Drug Battle Heats Up
Citing the rising prices of drugs commonly prescribed for the elderly population, in late April the Clinton Administration began to heat up its campaign to persuade Congress to approve a comprehensive Medicare drug benefit. The plan, which is estimated by the Office of Management and Budget to cost $195 billion over 10 years, takes into account the increased costs of such drugs.
The patient advocacy group FamiliesUSA issued a report entitled "Still Rising: Drug Price Increases for Seniors, 1999–2000" in late April at a White House briefing. Ron Pollack, president of FamiliesUSA, noted that the prices for the 50 most-often-prescribed drugs for seniors rose faster than the inflation rate. The report evaluated the costs of drugs in the 1999 to 2000 period and in the 6 years from 1994 through 2000.
Pollack further noted that "this report underscores the importance of protecting seniors from the growing burden of prescription drug prices. Each year, it becomes increasingly difficult for millions of senior citizens to pay for the drugs they need. Their incomes remain fixed as they watch drug prices soar out of sight, taking the promise of effective treatment with them."
The report showed that prices for 33 of the drugs rose at least 1.5 times the rate of inflation and that prices for 25 of the drugs rose at least twice the inflation rate. In some instances, drug prices increased 3, 4, or more times the inflation rate.
For example, the report noted that the cost of the diuretic
furosemide