AARP
applauds Senate Finance Committee for passing
Medicare Rx bargaining bill...Organization urges
full Senate to stand with the overwhelming
majority of Americans and support bill
WASHINGTON,
April 12 2007/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP CEO
Bill Novelli released the following statement
today after the U.S. Senate Finance Committee
passed a bill to give Medicare the power to
bargain for lower drug prices (S. 3) with a
bipartisan vote. The bill is now headed to the
Senate floor for a vote.
"We commend the Senate Finance Committee Members
who stood with nearly 90 percent of voting-age
Americans who support giving Medicare the power
to bargain for lower drug prices.
"Older Americans are the largest consumers
of prescription drugs, and many have been
greatly helped under Part D. Allowing
Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices
is common sense, and could lead to more
affordable drugs for Medicare beneficiaries
and lower costs for all taxpayers.
"AARP members have been calling and emailing
their elected officials by the tens of thousands
in recent weeks, and they want to know where
their Senators stand on this important issue. We
look forward to working with Senators from both
sides of the aisle as this legislation moves
forward."
Earlier this year, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed H.R. 4, the "Medicare
Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of
2007," by a bipartisan vote of 255 to 170. AARP
strongly supported H.R. 4 and is now putting its
efforts behind similar legislation in the
Senate.
AARP is recording House and Senate roll call
votes on key issues, and informing its members
about how their elected officials voted. A vote
for allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower
prescription drug prices will be counted among
AARP's key votes.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership
organization that helps people 50+ have
independence, choice and control in ways that
are beneficial and affordable to them and
society as a whole. We produce AARP The
Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin,
our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud,
our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English;
NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for
50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP
Foundation is an affiliated charity that
provides security, protection, and empowerment
to older persons in need with support from
thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.
We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
