HR0966 LRB094 18611 DRJ 53956 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in
3 2003 took effect January 1, 2006, in the form of competing
4 "Medicare Part D" plans sold by private insurance companies;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Senior citizens are choosing from a wide array of
7 private plans in each geographic area, with a confusing variety
8 of plan designs and formularies; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The law states that a Medicare plan's formulary
10 must cover just one brand name drug and one generic drug in
11 each therapeutic category - a minimal requirement that will
12 make it difficult for an older person to find all the drugs
13 he/she takes in a single plan; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The drug plans will be allowed to switch the drugs
15 in their formularies on a regular basis, making it likely that
16 many seniors will sign up for a plan that covers a drug they
17 take, only to find out a few months later that the drug is no
18 longer covered by their plan; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The drug plans will bargain with the drug
20 companies for lower prices, but instead of being required to
21 pass the discounts on to seniors, they will be allowed to use
22 the savings for advertising and overhead costs, or to increase
23 their profits; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Private drug plans will be unable to bargain
25 effectively, because the Medicare market will be divided among
26 hundreds of plans, diminishing the negotiating power of the
27 huge Medicare population; and
 
28     WHEREAS, A drug benefit that's run by the Medicare program
29 itself, rather than private insurance, could be given the

 

 

HR0966 - 2 - LRB094 18611 DRJ 53956 r

1 authority to negotiate prices on behalf of all 44 million
2 beneficiaries - resulting in enormous buying power and the
3 ability to get the lowest prices possible; and
 
4     WHEREAS, This was born out by a recent study conducted by
5 Families USA (September 2005), which found that the lowest drug
6 prices negotiated by the private sponsors of the 2004/2005
7 Medicare discount cards far exceeded the low prices routinely
8 negotiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of
9 the nation's veteran population; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Seniors would not only benefit by the lower prices
11 of a Medicare-run drug plan, but many would find a Medicare
12 choice much less confusing than having to choose the most
13 appropriate plan from among the dozens being marketed by
14 private insurers; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17 we call upon the United States Congress to enact a drug benefit
18 for senior citizens that is run by the Medicare program itself;
19 and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the United States Congress enact
21 legislation authorizing Medicare to negotiate directly with
22 the drug companies on behalf of its millions of beneficiaries,
23 in order to achieve the lowest prices possible; and be it
24 further
 
25     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the
26 President of the United States, each member of the Illinois
27 Congressional delegation, the Speaker of the United States
28 House of Representatives, and the President of the United
29 States Senate.