Prescription Drug Issue Plays Large Role in Iowa Congressional Race

Republican congressional candidates nationwide have "aggressively" promoted a GOP-sponsored bill (HR 4954), passed in the House late last month, that would add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare to help "inoculate them against Democratic criticism in the midterm elections and maybe win over new voters," the Washington Post reports. Before the July 4 recess, the House Republican conference sent information to GOP lawmakers "telling them how to make prescription drugs a prominent theme" in their districts. In addition, the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a memo to GOP press secretaries last month that said "prescription drugs will be a major campaign issue this fall." The memo also outlined the strategy of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a House member in a close race, to make the issue "central to her campaign." On the Democratic side, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has sent information to candidates "coaching them on how to disparage the GOP bill." On its Web site, the committee also has asked for stories from "people who have had trouble affording prescription drugs" and then sent the information to candidates. Last week, several House members in close races -- Reps. George Gekas (R-Pa.), Tim Holden (D-Pa.), James Maloney (D-Conn.) and Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) -- discussed the issue of prescription drugs at campaign stops in their districts. Although surveys have found that the public considers increased health care costs and help for the uninsured "more important" issues, the Post reports that prescription drug coverage represents the "top priority" for seniors, who vote in large numbers. Republican pollster Bill McInturff said, "What's happening is, there is this massive groundswell of concern about the cost of health care, and we're dealing with it in this very micro way, which is making sure seniors have access to prescription drugs."

Iowa Race
In northern Iowa, Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) last week made 10 visits to senior centers in his district to promote the House-passed GOP Medicare prescription drug benefit bill, and his opponent, John Norris (D), former chair of the state Democratic Party and chief of staff to Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), has scheduled a "prescription drug tour" in the district this week. "It's just a huge, huge worry on people's minds," Norris said. According to census figures, seniors account for 23% of residents in the district, twice the percentage nationwide, and they have "scarce" access to prescription drug coverage, the Post reports. Iowa has no Medicare+Choice plans and few large employers, the "most likely to provide good health benefits for retirees." According to the Post, 78% of Medicare beneficiaries in Iowa do not have prescription drug benefits, compared with 33% of seniors nationwide. Last year, the state launched a pharmacy discount card program, Iowa Priority, to help address the problem. In the first six months, 24,000 Iowa seniors have enrolled in the program. However, only three of the nation's 48 pharmaceutical companies have agreed to provide discounts for the program, and "pharmacists are complaining because the program just cut their rates in an effort to lower prices for consumers." As a result, "it is natural that the drive for prescription drug coverage has permeated a House race that is as competitive as any in the country," the Post reports (Goldstein, Washington Post, 7/7).