By TOM McAVOY
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
DENVER - A Boulder legislator plans to introduce a bill next year to use the state's buying power to negotiate reduced prescription drug prices for Colorado's working poor.
Rep. Jack Pommer's proposal would cover people who don't qualify for Medicaid's federally controlled prescription rates and who aren't on any managed health insurance plan.
"It's an unfair twist in the market," Pommer said Thursday. "It forces people who are working but can't afford insurance and people on Medicare to pay the absolute highest prices for prescriptions."
Pommer relied on a Colorado Public Interest Research Group survey that found Colorado's uninsured pay 64 percent more than the federal supply price for 10 commonly prescribed drugs.
According to the survey of 19 states, filling prescriptions for the 10 common drugs costs $52.59 if purchased through Medicaid, but for the uninsured, $86.12 in Colorado and $90.21 nationally.
Colorado buys millions of dollars worth of prescription drugs for Medicaid recipients, giving the state the buying power used by private insurers to negotiate discounts, Pommer said.
Similar bills were introduced by Pommer and Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, in the last legislative session, but they died.
Salazar's HB1162 would have established a Colorado Council on Pharmaceutical Bulk Purchasing to negotiate discount prices on behalf of government agencies and other organizations wanting to participate in a pool insurance program.
Two other area legislators - Reps. Dorothy Butcher, D-Pueblo, and Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West - sponsored bills intended to make prescription drugs more affordable. Their bills also died in the House Health, Environment, Welfare and Institutions Committee.
Friday, July 18, 2003
State drug discount proposed for uninsured
By Julia C. Martinez, Denver Post Capitol Bureau
July 18, 2003
A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday proposed to protect uninsured Coloradans from high costs of prescription medication by having the state negotiate lower prices on their behalf.
Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Longmont, said he will sponsor legislation again next year to create a program similar to one in Maine, which enables uninsured citizens to get a discount on retail pharmaceutical prices.
"We don't want to wait for the federal government. We can solve the problem in Colorado," Pommer said at a news conference at the state Capitol to discuss a survey released earlier this week.
Pommer estimated that 100,000 Coloradans lack prescription drug coverage, including thousands of seniors.
The national survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that uninsured Americans pay an average of 72 percent more than the federal government for 10 common prescription drugs. Uninsured Coloradans are paying an average of 64 percent more for prescription medications, the report said.
While the federal government is able to use its buying power to negotiate lower prices for its employees, veterans and retirees, uninsured citizens have no one to negotiate on their behalf, said Rex Wilmouth of CoPIRG, the local arm of the national consumer advocacy group.
"They are at the whim of the pharmaceutical industry," Wilmouth said.
In dollars and cents, for example, the average price charged to uninsured Coloradans for a 30-day supply of the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor is $131.82. That is 94 percent more than the price charged the federal government, $67.81, the survey found.
For Celebrex, a medication for people with arthritis, the average monthly price for Colorado's uninsured is $166.54, 29 percent more than the federal supply price.
Denverite Martha Everett, 54, said that her eight prescription medicines cost $300 a month before she got help from the state's Indigent Care Program. She sometimes did not bother to get them refilled.
"It wasn't right for me to go without medication, but often I couldn't afford them," said Everett, a part-time employee of a Denver nonprofit agency.
The survey found that Denver ranks as one of the least expensive cities for uninsured consumers, yet prices also averaged 64 percent more than the federal price, roughly the same as statewide average prices.
Pommer proposed that the state use its buying power to obtain medicine for underinsured or uninsured Coloradans whose income is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. A similar measure he introduced in this year's legislative session was killed in committee.
Last month, the U.S. House and Senate passed differing versions of legislation to add drug coverage beginning in 2006 under Medicare. A conference committee will try to reach a compromise.
July 18, 2003
A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday proposed to protect uninsured Coloradans from high costs of prescription medication by having the state negotiate lower prices on their behalf.
Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Longmont, said he will sponsor legislation again next year to create a program similar to one in Maine, which enables uninsured citizens to get a discount on retail pharmaceutical prices.
"We don't want to wait for the federal government. We can solve the problem in Colorado," Pommer said at a news conference at the state Capitol to discuss a survey released earlier this week.
Pommer estimated that 100,000 Coloradans lack prescription drug coverage, including thousands of seniors.
The national survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that uninsured Americans pay an average of 72 percent more than the federal government for 10 common prescription drugs. Uninsured Coloradans are paying an average of 64 percent more for prescription medications, the report said.
While the federal government is able to use its buying power to negotiate lower prices for its employees, veterans and retirees, uninsured citizens have no one to negotiate on their behalf, said Rex Wilmouth of CoPIRG, the local arm of the national consumer advocacy group.
"They are at the whim of the pharmaceutical industry," Wilmouth said.
In dollars and cents, for example, the average price charged to uninsured Coloradans for a 30-day supply of the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor is $131.82. That is 94 percent more than the price charged the federal government, $67.81, the survey found.
For Celebrex, a medication for people with arthritis, the average monthly price for Colorado's uninsured is $166.54, 29 percent more than the federal supply price.
Denverite Martha Everett, 54, said that her eight prescription medicines cost $300 a month before she got help from the state's Indigent Care Program. She sometimes did not bother to get them refilled.
"It wasn't right for me to go without medication, but often I couldn't afford them," said Everett, a part-time employee of a Denver nonprofit agency.
The survey found that Denver ranks as one of the least expensive cities for uninsured consumers, yet prices also averaged 64 percent more than the federal price, roughly the same as statewide average prices.
Pommer proposed that the state use its buying power to obtain medicine for underinsured or uninsured Coloradans whose income is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. A similar measure he introduced in this year's legislative session was killed in committee.
Last month, the U.S. House and Senate passed differing versions of legislation to add drug coverage beginning in 2006 under Medicare. A conference committee will try to reach a compromise.
Democratic lawmaker proposes Maine-like prescription plan
Friday July 18, 2003
DENVER (AP) Uninsured Coloradans could gain some protection from high medication costs if the state negotiated lower prices on their behalf, a Democratic lawmaker says.
Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said he plans to try again next year on legislation to create a program similar to one in Maine, which gives uninsured residents a discount on retail pharmaceutical prices.
``We don't want to wait for the federal government,'' Pommer said.
He estimated that 100,000 state residents, many of them seniors, lack prescription drug coverage.
A national survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group reported that uninsured Americans pay an average of 72 percent more than the federal government does for 10 common prescription drugs. Uninsured Coloradans pay an average of 64 percent more for the medications, the report said.
The federal government can negotiate lower prices for its employees, veterans and retirees, but uninsured Americans have no one to negotiate on their behalf, said Rex Wilmouth of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.
``They are at the whim of the pharmaceutical industry,'' he said.
Martha Everett, 54, of Denver, said her eight prescription medicines cost $300 per month before she got help from the state Indigent Care Program. She sometimes could not afford to refill her prescriptions, she said.
``It wasn't right for me to go without medication,'' said Everett, a part-time employee of a Denver nonprofit agency.
Pommer proposed that the state negotiate for prescription-drug discounts for underinsured or uninsured Coloradans whose income is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. A similar measure he introduced this year was killed in committee.
DENVER (AP) Uninsured Coloradans could gain some protection from high medication costs if the state negotiated lower prices on their behalf, a Democratic lawmaker says.
Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said he plans to try again next year on legislation to create a program similar to one in Maine, which gives uninsured residents a discount on retail pharmaceutical prices.
``We don't want to wait for the federal government,'' Pommer said.
He estimated that 100,000 state residents, many of them seniors, lack prescription drug coverage.
A national survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group reported that uninsured Americans pay an average of 72 percent more than the federal government does for 10 common prescription drugs. Uninsured Coloradans pay an average of 64 percent more for the medications, the report said.
The federal government can negotiate lower prices for its employees, veterans and retirees, but uninsured Americans have no one to negotiate on their behalf, said Rex Wilmouth of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.
``They are at the whim of the pharmaceutical industry,'' he said.
Martha Everett, 54, of Denver, said her eight prescription medicines cost $300 per month before she got help from the state Indigent Care Program. She sometimes could not afford to refill her prescriptions, she said.
``It wasn't right for me to go without medication,'' said Everett, a part-time employee of a Denver nonprofit agency.
Pommer proposed that the state negotiate for prescription-drug discounts for underinsured or uninsured Coloradans whose income is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. A similar measure he introduced this year was killed in committee.
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