Slow Enrollment for Nevada Senior Drug Program; Pennsylvania Legislators Propose Rx Discount Program
After more than two months of open enrollment, only 23 people are registered in Nevada's SenioRx prescription drug program for low-income seniors, the Las Vegas Sun reports. That is an "abysmal result," Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley (D) said, adding, "There are so many in desperate need of prescription drugs, and only 23 being enrolled is disappointing" (Ryan, Las Vegas Sun, 1/24). SenioRx, which was unveiled by Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) in October and began Jan. 1, comprises two plans open to seniors with annual incomes of less than $13,000: Nevada Blue has a $74.46 monthly premium and offers primarily generic drugs, while Nevada Silver has a $98.31 monthly premium and covers more brand name drugs. SenioRx, expected to cost $4.7 million in its first year, also offers up to a $40 monthly subsidy to low-income seniors not eligible for Medicaid (Kaiser Daily Health Report, 10/12/00). In his Jan. 22 state of the state speech, Guinn said he was "proud to say" that the state had received 1,400 SenioRx applications, but "did not mention" the low enrollment figure. Buckley, who also is the co-chair of the Task Force for Health Nevada, said that the program needs "significant improve[ment]," including a reduction in the high co-payment for prescription drugs, which stands at $10 for generic drugs and at $35 or 50% of cost (whichever is greater) for brand-name drugs. While the program is a "start ... [i]t's not the best we can do," Buckley said (Las Vegas Sun, 1/24).
Penn. Dems Propose Single Administrator Rx Plan
Democrats in the Pennsylvania Senate have proposed a new "bulk buying" prescription drug program that would "establish a single prescription plan administrator to manage all medications purchased for state and public school employees, Medicaid and PACE, the lottery-funded prescription program for income-qualified seniors." The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the proposed program, called FAIRx, would attempt to reduce drug costs by consolidating prescription drug purchases for these three programs. State Sen. Jay Costa (D), the sponsor of the legislation, said, "Based on the rebates drug companies already provide in exchange for their participation in the existing PACE and Medicaid programs, we could easily generate an additional $103 million [in savings], and all of that money could be used to expand PACE." FAIRx would also allow Medicare beneficiaries to buy prescription drugs at the price set by PACE, in addition to a "dispensing fee." State Rep. Tony DeLuca (D) has crafted a similar proposal, but under his plan, all residents would be eligible to buy medications at the price offered by the PACE program. Neither lawmaker's plan would use funds from the state budget, the state lottery or the national tobacco settlement (Barbagello, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1/25).
