In a free market, a buyer who purchases much has leverage to demand lower prices. Think Walmart. Today, even Russians know this basic market principle. Only America’s Congress denies it and only with prescription drugs.

Americans pay more than world market prices for prescription drugs.

Americans buy prescriptions in an artificial market created by Congress-a market that inflates prices above those paid by people living overseas. This is true because taxpayers are the ultimate purchasers of many prescriptions-through Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs and because Congress blocks normal market operations by preventing government purchasing agents from negotiating a true market price. Instead an artificial market have been created wherein drug companies gouge Americans for above-market prices and return part of their excess profits to our leaders in the form of campaign contributions.

Ironically, Republicans in Congress are most responsible for this artificial market structure. The Republican Party has traditionally seen itself as the party of free markets. In the last week, the needed prescription drug market reform was once again blocked in Congress. Republicans weren’t alone--some Democrats voted with them, but our local Republican representatives and Senator Martinez were among those who voted to keep drug prices artificially high.

This policy victimizes the weakest among us-those needing prescription medication to gain their health. Write your representative and tell them to let a real free market function for prescription drugs. Government works for voters not drug companies. Let them know it!

Doug Bevins, Dade City

How to tweak the Medicare Part D coverage gap

For those of you who take a number of prescriptions each month and know you will hit the Medicare prescription dollar limit known as the “Donut hole”, and have to start paying for your own prescriptions, try this:

Go to Walmart.com and see if any of your prescriptions are listed under their $4.00 price. You also can use Target or any other store matching Wal-Mart’s’ $4.00 offer. If you find any, check what your HMO or PPO plan lists as their cost. (Not what you pay, but the price they use to compute your total prescriptions cost as the year progresses.) Humana for example, sends a report quarterly with this information. Humana’s’ plan even tells you when or if you may run out of coverage.

Now multiply the price the HMO or PPO is using by 12. This is their annual total they roll in with all your other prescription costs. Had you bought those prescriptions at One of the $4.00 stores the HMO or PPO’s dollar total would be available for your other prescriptions and will delay the point you enter the “donut”

For example; I take Lisinopril, 20-25 Mg. Walmart sells it for $4.00. I get it free from Humana but they carry it as a $9.12 cost. $9.12 times 12 equals $109.44. If I bought the Lisinopril at Wal-mart, NOT with my HMO card, but just as a normal purchase, I would have paid out of pocket, $4.00 times 12 months, Or $48.00. Meanwhile, the $109.44 would be still available with Humana to defer the point where my coverage stops (in 2007 this figure is $2400”).

While the $109.44 is not an earthshaking amount, it’s nothing to sneeze at either. Quite possibly, the HMO/PPO carrying cost for your prescription(s) could be much higher.

One final bonus; If your prescription costs are so high that you actually emerge from the “Donut” in the same year, your $48.00 worth of receipts on each prescription that you bought, can be used to apply towards the out of pocket total to get back into the co-pay mode. In 2007 the upper limit is $3850.

Les Milewski
Seminole

This complicated legislative mess is the direct result of programs written for the "people"......by politicians who are not affected by their pronouncements. Take away their golden goose and the resulting nest eggs from the senators and congressmen, and maybe we will see some legislation that is benefitial for all. If they had to rely on Social Security, Medicare, etc. they would know the problems that face the general public.

The Medicare Drug Bill is a band-aid on a severed artery. The real problem is the excessive cost of drugs; and the lawmakers who are in bed with the drug companies.