New York City Council Speaker Proposes Prescription Drug Reimbursement Plan
New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone (D) on April 1 proposed an $8 million plan that would allow seniors to purchase prescription drugs at a discount -- a measure "quickly slammed" by City Hall as a "waste of money" -- marking the "latest bickering" between Vallone and the Giuliani administration since they released rival city budget proposals last week, the New York Daily News reports. According to Vallone, who is running for mayor, the plan would reimburse moderate-income seniors enrolled in the state's Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program -- which provides prescription drug coverage for single seniors with incomes of $20,000 to $35,000 or for couples with incomes of $26,000 to $50,000 -- between $265 and $430 annually to help cover the cost of deductibles ranging from $530 to $1,715. "I don't know anyone out there not complaining about the cost of prescriptions," Vallone said. He and New York City Councilman Victor Robles (D), chair of the council's Health Committee, said that the proposal would help 21,000 New York City seniors. New York City Budget Director Adam Barsky said that the plan did not appear "well thought out," adding that the proposal would "create more paperwork headaches" than benefits. "If [Vallone] feels [EPIC] is inadequate, he should be calling on the state first rather than putting up city tax levy dollars and creating a new level of bureaucracy," Barsky said (Colangelo, New York Daily News, 4/2). The New York Times reports that the plan would require approval from Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) (Lipton, New York Times, 4/2).
Updating Drug Prices
Meanwhile, New York City Public Advocate and mayoral candidate Mark Green said yesterday that "[f]aded, outdated posters listing wrong prices for popular prescription drugs" often prevent consumers from "finding the best deal at pharmacies in the city." According to a recent survey conducted by Green's office, many pharmacies posted "incorrect" prices for "commonly used" medicines, such as Paxil, Prilosec and Zocor. Green and New York Assembly member Richard Gottfried (D) are "pushing" a bill that would require pharmacies to provide the public with current lists of the 150 most popular prescription drugs. Under a 1973 law, pharmacies only have to post updated prices every five years. "A good idea 30 years ago turned into an ineffective law," Green said. The survey found that one pharmacy poster listed the price of Zocor, a cholesterol-reducing drug, at $92.99, while the actual price was $172.99. In addition, Green said that Celebrex, a popular anti-inflammatory drug used by arthritis patients, "wasn't even on the market five years ago when the existing posters were created" (Colangelo,
New York Daily News, 4/2).
