Some call themselves "word nerds," others prefer the term "wordsmith." They're all gearing up for the 2009 AARP National Spelling Bee. Early birds from all over the country have already signed up.

A new analysis by AARP’s Public Policy Institute reveals the manufacturers of many top-selling biologic drugs have recouped average research and development costs several times over in the past six years, often within a single year. The report’s finding busts the myth that allowing generic versions of biologic drugs will undermine further development of these breakthrough medicines.

Unlike traditional chemical drugs, biologic drugs are made from living organisms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no process in place to approve less costly generic versions of biologics, which can cost thousands of dollars each month.

AARP’s analysis of ten top-selling biologics finds these drugs have had U.S. sales of between $5.5 billion and $14.9 billion since 2003. The average development cost for a new biologic drug is $1.2 billion, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. All of the drugs examined more than recovered the average development cost of a biologic drug in just three years of sales between 2003 and 2005.

“For more than 20 years, generic versions of chemical drugs have given Americans access to safe, inexpensive treatments for their health problems without hindering scientific innovation,” said AARP Executive Vice President John Rother. “With more Americans taking biologic drugs for relatively common diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis, it’s time to bring affordable generic biologics to the market.”

AARP is telling lawmakers that a process to approve generic biologic drugs must be a part of comprehensive health reform. The Association has endorsed the “Promoting Innovation and Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act” (H.R. 1427/S. 726), which would create a process for the approval of generic biologic drugs. This bill would prevent generic competition from entering the market for the first five years after a new biologic drug is approved, providing a common-sense balance between encouraging innovation and increasing access to these life-saving medicines.

Rother added: “This bill is a win-win both for biologic drug makers and for those Americans with the most desperate medical conditions who are struggling to afford the medicines they need.”

A competing bill, the “Pathway for Biosimilars Act” (H.R. 1548), would force consumers to wait twelve years before being able to purchase the lower cost generic version of their medicine.

AARP’s report, “Biologics in Perspective: The Case for Generic Biologic Drugs,” is available at http://www.aarp.org/research/health/drugs/fs155_biologics.html.

For details on AARP’s health reform priorities, visit http://www.aarp.org/governmentwatch.
 

Summer vacation may be approaching fast for California school kids, but your AARP California volunteers will be working hard on an advocacy blitz to improve the health care system. Keeping Medicare strong for current and future generations is a top priority. We want to lower costs for people on Medicare, while also eliminating waste, fraud and abuse that squander money, and result in medical errors and poor care.


Skyrocketing costs and our economic crisis are pricing millions of beneficiaries out of the care they need. Medicare patients now spend an average of 30% of their incomes on out-of-pocket health costs -- six times more than those with employer coverage


These runaway health costs burden families and the Medicare program itself. To address them, AARP supports an array of actions to contain costs, attack waste and make care more efficient. For example, AARP is also fighting to reduce unnecessary rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries. A recent study found that one in five people on Medicare who leave the hospital have to go back within 30 days, and about one-third have to go back within 90 days. These unplanned and often avoidable readmissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion in 2004.


A way to reduce them would be for Medicare to establish a follow up care benefit that helps patients transition home safely after a hospital stay. Under such a benefit, a team of health professionals could establish an individual plan for each patient, to make sure he or she gets adequate follow-up help -- including medication management and education -- to thrive after discharge to home or another facility.


These common-sense health reforms are not likely to be enacted without AARP’s leadership. We need your support and your voice to convince Congress to act on them. So please sign up today at www.healthactionnow.org .

 

Swine Flu

AARP urges anyone with flu-like symptoms—including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea—to contact their health professional to find out if they should be tested or treated for seasonal influenza or swine flu.

You can help prevent the spread of swine flu and other illnesses by:

• Washing your hands regularly with soap and water;
• Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze;
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Avoiding contact with sick people; and
• Staying home from school or work if you feel sick.

While we encourage all older Americans to get an annual vaccine for seasonal flu, the swine flu strain is not prevented by the seasonal flu vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control have important information about swine flu available at www.cdc.gov/swineflu

General Information about Seasonal Influenza: 

We encourage people to take personal responsibility for their health with preventive measures—like flu shots—to guard against illness and disease. Keeping people healthy is more efficient and economical than caring for people after they get sick.

People 50+ are more vulnerable to the flu and its complications, so anyone 50 or older should get a flu shot. You can find a flu shot clinic at www.aarp.org/flu.

A growing number of Americans are caregivers. This sandwich generation needs to get immunized to prevent serious disease for themselves and also for the people they care for—grandchildren and older parents.

In a 2007 AARP survey, we learned nearly half of 50+ Americans skipped their flu shot. Many mistakenly believed the vaccine could give them the flu.

This is also a good time to ask your doctor about a vaccine for pneumococcal disease, which causes 4,800 deaths annually. Everyone 65+ should consider a pneumococcal vaccine.

Washington, D.C. – As the House and Senate begin work on a final budget resolution, AARP CEO Barry Rand called on the leaders of the budget committees to include the Association’s legislative priorities. Excerpts from Rand’s letter to Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (ND), Ranking Member Judd Gregg (NH), House Budget Chairman John Spratt (SC) and Ranking Member Paul Ryan (WI) follow:

“…[O]n behalf of our 40 million members, AARP urges the House and Senate conferees to include in the final budget agreement reserve funds and allocations that will advance health care reform, bolster retirement security, and promote livable communities.”

“AARP agrees with both the President and congressional leaders that it is critical to enact health care reform this year, and to ensure that reforms are paid for in the long run. Therefore, we support the inclusion of a deficit-neutral health care reserve fund to advance enactment of health care reform as soon as possible…. We urge that the reserve fund included in the final budget resolution allow health care legislation to meet “pay as you go” requirements in the final year of the rule’s application, to allow some time for savings to be realized.”

“…[U]sing the reconciliation process for health care reform may present some serious challenges…. [We] strongly urge all parties to demonstrate real progress toward achieving this goal through regular order….”

“AARP also supports the inclusion of a current policy reserve fund to reform the Medicare physician payment system…. We urge Congress to enact these physician payment reforms swiftly, while also protecting the programs that are most important to our members.”

“…Providing all workers with a chance to supplement their Social Security income is a cornerstone of AARP’s retirement security agenda. We appreciate that both the House and Senate budget resolutions assume enough discretionary funding to accommodate the increase in SSA funding, and that both budgets include a reserve fund that can accommodate improvements in retirement savings policies.”

“…AARP shares a commitment to providing increased funding for transportation not only to support substantial improvement in our nation’s transportation infrastructure, but to permit broad restructuring of our nation’s transportation priorities. AARP is working to enable older adults to live independently…and transportation is critical to maintaining the community connections that make that possible.”

“We are concerned that the non-defense discretionary allocations in both the Senate and House resolutions are below the President’s request…. Failure to provide for the higher level of non-defense discretionary spending will greatly handicap the ability of the Appropriations Committees to sustain their efforts to restore funding levels for many senior, disabled and lower income programs….”

“We appreciate the challenge before the conferees, and commend your efforts to reset the course of many critical policies through this budget.”

To request a complete copy of AARP’s letter to the budget committees, please contact AARP Media Relations at the number above. For more information about AARP’s health reform campaign, please visit HealthActionNow.org.

The President and members of Congress are saying they want to bring about health reform this year.

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AARP Tracks “Key Vote” on Government Watch for 40 Million Members  

• The bill is devoted to enhancing service opportunities for persons age 50+ so that they can apply a lifetime of acquired skills to address a range of identified service needs; and  
• The bill includes provisions that improve the capacity of non-profit, service and philanthropic organizations to recruit, manage and apply volunteer skills to identified service needs in this period of economic recession and lower charitable giving.  

March 11, 2009 

Washington - AARP today applauded the Senate and the House of Representatives for taking important steps on legislation that will strengthen and expand civic engagement and volunteer opportunities at a time when many Americans are in great need. A statement from AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson on the Serve America Act (S. 277) and the G.I.V.E. Act (H.R. 1388) follows:

“AARP applauds Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Orrin Hatch and Representatives George Miller and Carolyn McCarthy for introducing bipartisan legislation that will usher in a new era of American service.

“AARP was founded on the principle of service. Today millions of people give back to their communities through either AARP or the AARP Foundation – helping others find work, access to benefits, get tax refunds, stay healthy and advocate on issues important to their families.

“Now is the time for movement on the Serve America Act, part of which is devoted to enhancing service opportunities for persons 50+, so they can apply a lifetime of acquired skills to help remedy a range of needs. AARP supports provisions that will improve the capacity of non-profit, service and philanthropic organizations to recruit, manage and engage more volunteers – including skilled volunteers – to help address people’s critical and growing service needs.

“During today’s House mark up of the G.I.V.E. Act, we strongly urge the House Committee on Education and Labor to support an amendment that includes the Volunteer Generation Fund and the Community Solutions Pilot. AARP believes this amendment is critical to local support and accountability, which allows existing service programs and service providers to effectively manage volunteers who heed the call to give back to their nation and the community.

“The 50+ community has the opportunity to lead the next generation of service: in a survey conducted for AARP last year, millions of boomers said that in the next five years, they want to increase their volunteer service to improve their communities and our world. Boomers stand ready to give, ready to do more, and ready to, as AARP’s founder said, ‘create the good.’

“AARP looks forward to working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to improve how our country addresses its greatest problems by using its greatest resource – the American people.”