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Volunteers Speak Out on Prescription Drugs

By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2003-07-31 16:47:00-04:00

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Carper Asks for AARP's Input

If you want to know what seniors think of the current Congressional legislation to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, who do you ask? AARP Delaware volunteers, of course. At least that's what United States Sen. Thomas Carper did. At Carper's invitation, State President Charles Jackson led a contingent of eight advocacy activists to meet with the Senator at his Georgetown office July 7.

"This is obviously an issue of great concern to AARP's 139,000 members in the state of Delaware," noted Jackson following the hour-long session. "These bills need improvement before they are enacted into law. Our members are looking for a benefit that is universal, affordable and continuous. We are looking for legislation that does not replace the high cost of drugs with the high cost of insurance."

As Carper and others move forward to improve the existing legislation in both the House and the Senate, AARP Delaware's volunteers requested consideration of these issues raised during the discussion:

• Means Testing - We feel that adding means-testing, other than what currently exists by paying different levels of payroll tax, would undermine the very purpose for which Medicare was enacted. Medicare is a social insurance program. It is not welfare.
• "Donut Hole" - Our members are concerned that there is currently a gap in prescription coverage at a point when people really need it most. We need to see an elimination of gaps in coverage.
• Employer Provided Benefits - Today, employer coverage is the single largest source of prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. We think that incentives for employers to continue private retiree health benefits are crucial to ensuring continuation of existing plans.
• Accessibility - We do not know if having private plans in place will save money or better meet the needs of beneficiaries than what exists. We do not know if these private plans will be available to all, no matter where they reside. Our experience with HMOs in the state leaves us with little confidence about the accessibility and availability of better options for our members. If private plans are to be an option, they should be a viable option for everyone.
• Understandability - Because of the complexity of the House and Senate bills, we know that many of our members are confused about how they will apply to them personally. What will they gain? What will they lose? We need legislation that we can understand.
• Operations - Navigating through the existing Medicare bureaucracy is already challenging. Our members are concerned that a complex law will result in complicated processes and paperwork that will simply add more confusion to accessing benefits.
• Cancer Care - With the high incidence of cancer in Delaware, we are concerned about the diversion of dollars from existing programs that are important to our members to fund the new prescription drug benefit.

In addition to Jackson, volunteers representing AARP Delaware included Leon Calabrese, Dick Johnson, George Palmer, Rose Payne, Ed Timmons, John Walsh and Jim Wilson.

For more information about AARP Delaware's activism surrounding the Medicare prescription drug benefit legislation and to become a member of our advocacy team, please contact Brian Posey, Associate State Director for Advocacy at (302) 498-6512 or bposey@aarp.org