Improvements in Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit will remain focus of AARP, CEO Novelli says

[Oct 10, 2006]      AARP CEO Bill Novelli on Wednesday said his group will continue to push for changes to the Medicare prescription drug benefit and allowing the purchase of prescription medicines from Canada and other countries, McClatchy-Tribune Business News/Palm Beach Post reports.

In an interview, Novelli said of the benefit, "We felt year one was good, but we never said it was a perfect plan." Novelli cited a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey finding that about 80% of seniors were satisfied with the benefit, and nearly 50% were saving money as a result of it. Novelli said AARP will lobby for lower drug prices and increased eligibility for the government's low-income subsidy.

He also said the federal government should pressure drug companies to lower prices for the drug benefit. In addition, Novelli added that AARP will:

Push for legalizing the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries;

Support a non-judicial review of medical malpractice cases so patients' cases can be handled sooner; and Support creation of a bipartisan commission to study how to reform Social Security.

Social Security is "a lot easier to save than Medicare," Novelli said (Galewitz, McClatchy-Tribune Business News/Palm Beach Post, 10/5).