AARP tells
Senate: Take a stand...Group wages nationwide
campaign to help lower Medicare drug prices
WASHINGTON, April 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
With the aid of its 38 million members, AARP is
calling on the U.S. Senate to stand with the
overwhelming majority of Americans and vote to
give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower
prescription drug prices.
On Wednesday, April 4, AARP members across
the country will be calling on their
Senators and urging them to support
legislation that could help lower Medicare
drug prices for tens of millions of Medicare
beneficiaries.
To date, AARP members have already generated
more than 60,000 calls and over 42,000 emails to
Members of Congress nationwide on this important
issue. Ads have been purchased in many states
and multiple events, occurring nationwide, will
also take place to put further pressure on key
Senators.
''Our members are calling and emailing their
elected officials by the tens of thousands. Our
polls show nearly 90 percent of voting-age
Americans support giving Medicare the power to
bargain for lower drug prices.
"This is not
rocket science, it is allowing bulk purchasing
of prescription drugs to try and get a better
price. Drug prices are too high, the
pharmaceutical industry wants to keep them high
and AARP will not stand by and let the industry
block passage of legislation that has
overwhelming public support and makes so much
sense,'' said AARP Director of Government
Affairs David Sloane.
The Senate Finance Committee agreed to take up
the bill shortly after the Senators return from
their spring district work period. A bill is
expected to be brought before the full Senate in
April.
Earlier this year, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed H.R. 4, the ''Medicare
Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of
2007,'' by a bipartisan vote of 255 to 170. AARP
strongly supported H.R. 4 and is now putting its
full weight and resources behind passing similar
legislation in the Senate.
During the 110th Congress, AARP is recording
House and Senate roll call votes on key issues,
and informing its members of the results of
these key votes -- and how their elected
officials voted -- throughout the session. A
vote for allowing Medicare to negotiate for
prescription drugs will be counted among AARP's
key votes.
Older Americans are the largest consumers of
prescription drugs and take an average of four
prescriptions a day. Americans pay among the
highest prices in the world for their
prescription drugs.
In 2006, on average, brand name prescription
drug prices increased 6.2 percent for a
sample of 193 brand- name drugs widely used by
older Americans. During that same period general
inflation was just 3.2 percent.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership
organization that helps people 50+ have
independence, choice and control in ways that
are beneficial and affordable to them and
society as a whole.
We produce AARP The Magazine, published
bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper;
AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in
Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our
quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our
website,
http://www.AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an
affiliated charity that provides security,
protection, and empowerment to older persons in
need with support from thousands of volunteers,
donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
