Rhode Island Democrats Unveil Package to Expand Prescription Drug Program For Elderly

Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty (D) and Senate Majority Leader William Irons (D) on Feb. 6 "unveiled" "RIPAE Next Step" legislative package that includes three bills aimed at "vastly" expanding the state's program for subsidizing prescription drugs for low- and middle- income seniors, the Providence Journal reports. At present, the Rhode Island Pharmacy Assistance Program for the Elderly (RIPAE), open to people aged 65 and older who earn up to $15,931 per individual or $19,915 per couple, subsidizes 60% of medication costs for only 16 conditions; under one of the package's bills the subsidies would cover all federally approved drugs. The other two bills would make people ages 55 and older who are covered by Social Security Disability Insurance and meet RIPAE income guidelines eligible for RIPAE benefits and put a $1,500 cap on out-of-pocket expenses for the elderly in the lowest income bracket. Irons described Senate support for the package as "solid." But Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) has not yet "take[n] a position" on Fogarty's bills, and hopes that President Bush's health care proposal -- which would give $48 billion over four years to states for drug coverage of low-income elderly -- would provide federal funding for the expansion, according to Almond spokesperson Lisa Pelosi. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau (D) expressed concern that the program would "commi[t] the state to open-ended spending as new drugs are approved in the future." He added that while he was neither endorsing nor rejecting the proposal, he "wanted the cost to be predictable." Fogarty estimated the annual cost of the three-bill package to run about $3 million: $2 million for the drug subsidies, $720,000 for the disability coverage, and $250,000 for the out-of-pocket cap. He argued that subsidizing preventive medication would be cheaper in the "long run" than paying for hospitalizations. Last year, the state expanded the RIPAE program, called RIPAE Plus, to subsidize the prescription drug costs for middle income people. Under that expansion, individuals with incomes up to $19,999 receive a 30% subsidy, and those with incomes up to $34,999 receive a 15% discount. Couples earning up to $24,999 are subsidized at 30%, while couples earning between $25,000 and $39,999 get a 15% subsidy (Freyer, Providence Journal, 2/7).