The reintroduction of the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009 is important to senior citizens and those who have chronic diseases, said U.S. Reps. Marion Berry (D-Ark.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).
The bill, "H.R.684: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to deliver a meaningful benefit and lower prescription drug prices under the Medicare Program," would establish one or more Medicare-operated drug plans that would compete with private prescription drug plans.
"Many senior citizens don't know what plan to choose," said Schakowsky. "There are 49 plans available just in Illinois and this (bill) would make it simpler."
In addition, the bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate the purchase price of covered Part D drugs with pharmaceutical manufacturers, which would give consumers access to cheaper, more affordable medicines.
"The cost of drugs is too high," said Vicki Gottlich, senior policy attorney at the Centers for Medicare Advocacy.
Prescription drug plans become more expensive throughout the year and some patients are forced to choose a different drug plan every year just to bring prices back to what they can afford, Gottlich said.
"(The bill) would save taxpayers a considerable amount of money, but also would include a lot of benefits that we don't have available to us right now," said Berry.
Under the defined standard Medicare drug benefit package there is a gap - called the "donut hole" - in coverage between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold. Within this gap, the beneficiary pays the full cost of prescription drugs before catastrophic coverage kicks in.
"We believe (the bill) is the solution to a myriad of problems," said Paul Precht, director for Policy and Communications at the Medicare Rights Center. "People trust the Medicare program and want simplicity under the Medicare benefit."