What we know:
Medicare Part D does not allow the government (American taxpayers) to have a negotiating role when it comes to dealing with the pharmaceutical industry.
Since 1991 state Medicaid programs have benefited from “best price” rebates from pharmaceutical companies to be sure that Medicaid doesn’t pay more for drugs than what commercial insurers are able to negotiate.
To find out what we won’t know, let’s turn to the NYT story, A Windfall from Shifts to Medicare, from Tuesday:
“Over all, the Medicaid best-price rebates have averaged about 15 percent of the list prices of the manufacturers, but some states, including California, New York and Maine have obtained even larger rebates, Professor Schondelmeyer said.
Now, under Part D, all sorts of price deals will be negotiated by dozens of Medicare drug plans, large and small. The prices will be reported to Medicare, but under a provision of the law pushed by industry lobbyists, they will otherwise be kept secret.”
More secrecy. We don’t need more secrecy in government. We need transparency and accountability. We can only get that by making our concerns clear to our elected officials. If we don’t, we’re only in store for more laws that are written of industries, by industries and for industries leading to important information being hidden from American taxpayers.
Please come to Medicare D-Day on Medicare’s B-Day and ask Rep. Fitzpatrick to commit to reforming the Part D disaster in specific ways that will benefit the American citizens who need the help instead of funneling money into the pockets of political donor industries.
July 29th also marks ONE HUNDRED DAYS before the election. Celebrate all your civil rights and duties by showing up to talk to your congressman about this important issue.
What: Medicare D-Day on Medicare’s B-Day
When: 9:15am Saturday, JULY 29
Where: Oxford Valley Mall – JC Penney parking lot (Google. Map)
Why: to lobby Congressman Fitzpatrick to fix Medicare’s Prescription drug benefit
RSVP here.
Email info@paaction.org.