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Emanuel: “The ‘discount’ in the Medicare drug discount cards won’t mean much without passing importation legislation to make all drugs more affordable in this country” |
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) released the following statement today at a press conference with U.S. Reps. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on Medicare discount cards, and calling for Senate passage of importation. On Thursday, the Medicare website will begin providing drug price comparisons and telling recipients where they can use the various cards. Enrollment for the drug discount card begins next Monday, May 3. “The issue here has always been that too many American seniors cannot afford the lifesaving medications that their doctors prescribe. This is the number one issue for my constituents. Over the last five years, there has been a steady rate of increase in prescription drug costs of about 16 percent each year (Chart). Drug costs are rising at four times the rate of inflation. This is about dealing with affordability, and we can do better than a 10 or 20 percent discount on overpriced drugs. Look at this chart: You got Lipitor for cholesterol; $105.33 here in the U.S.; the discount card you can get it at $87.00; Canada-$56.57; and in Europe-$38.00. Lipitor is 129% more expensive with the discount card here at home than it is in Europe. Celebrex for arthritis; $92.99 here in the U.S.; the discount card: $76.81; Canada-$40.50; in Europe-$48.00. It’s still 89 percent more expensive to get Celebrex with the discount card than it is in Canada. For the five popular drugs listed here, the total cost of the drugs with the discount As this Wall Street Journal article shows, a 10 or even 20 percent discount doesn’t do much when drug prices increase 15 or 20 percent in a year. Just like when Neiman Marcus jacks up their prices before the big holiday sale, increasing drug prices could negate the benefits of the cards. My constituents know that a 10 or 20 percent discount isn’t going to do enough. The Medicare drug discount card is a temporary solution which I certainly hope will help Americans afford their drugs. But why should we settle for second best? We can achieve real savings through allowing importation of FDA-approved, affordable drugs from Canada and Europe. By passing a comprehensive importation bill soon, and before the rest of the drug benefit goes into effect, we can provide a better benefit for seniors while saving money for all American taxpayers.” |
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