FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-3943
February 8, 2000
No. HL-12
Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing to examine the implications of different proposals aimed at helping seniors gain more affordable access to prescription drugs. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, February 15, 2000, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include experts in the financing of prescription drug benefits in both the public and private sectors, as well as representatives from the senior community and the pharmaceutical industry. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND:
While nearly two-thirds of seniors have some insurance to help them pay for the costs of prescription medicines, an increasing number of vulnerable seniors lack access to affordable drug benefits. As a result, they are often either exposed to sizable financial risks or have their health and quality of life compromised. The origins of this problem are many. The Medicare fee-for-service program does not generally cover outpatient prescription drugs. In addition, many seniors lack access to, or find it difficult to afford, prescription drug benefits through either a Medicare+Choice or Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) plan. Finally, while millions of seniors now obtain drug coverage through a former employer (or a spouse's former employer), the rate at which employers are sponsoring retiree health insurance benefits is in decline. The rising cost of new drug therapies has contributed to this problem. It has also made it increasingly difficult for those without coverage to purchase the medicines they need on their own.
Last March, Chairman Thomas joined a majority of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare in recommending systemic reforms to Medicare. The Commission proposal would have made a variety of drug coverage options available to all seniors through a competitive insurance model similar to the one that Members of Congress enjoy. The President responded last June by proposing to expand the current Medicare fee-for-service benefit package to include a standardized prescription drug benefit. The President resubmitted his proposal to Congress this week as part of his fiscal year 2001 budget. Other lawmakers have put forward proposals that would either subsidize the purchase of drugs for those most in need, or conversely, to impose in some form price restrictions on the companies who manufacture and sell prescription drug therapies.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Thomas stated: "As modern medicine relies more and more on drug treatments to manage chronic disease, it is essential that Congress take steps to ensure that seniors have access to affordable prescription drugs. Last Spring, a majority of the Bipartisan Medicare Commission recommended a Medicare reform plan -- a plan that expanded access to prescription drugs for seniors through market-based solutions such as group purchasing. These reforms are essential if Medicare is to remain a viable program for future generations. In working to address this growing problem this year, we will also evaluate other proposals, such as the one the President has put forward. This hearing will help us begin that process, and help us examine both the myths and realities surrounding this problem and the different solutions that have been proposed."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The hearing will examine the current state of affairs with respect to seniors' access to prescription drug benefits and focus on the details of different drug proposals now before Congress. The Subcommittee will examine the implications that these proposals have for both the public and private financing of health care, their potential effects on health care choice and quality, and their relationship to the long-term needs of the Medicare program.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Tuesday, February 29, 2000, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Health office, room 1136 Longworth House Office Building, by close of business the day before the hearing.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please
call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event
(four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to
special accommodation needs in general (including availability of
Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the
Committee as noted above.