Seniors raising red flags about drug manufacturers' role
in designing Medicare Drug Benefit, Says PCMA
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10
/U.S. Newswire/ -- Seniors voting in last Tuesday's presidential
election favor a Medicare prescription drug benefit that promotes a
choice of plans and drives down prices through competition, but also
have serious concerns about the drug manufacturers' role in influencing
the design of that new benefit, according to new post-election polling
data released today by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).
PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit
managers (PBMs).
"Seniors
voting in last week's election clearly want a Medicare drug benefit that
promotes a choice of drug plans and lowers costs through competition.
This approach is the essence of the PBM model that has worked to drive
down costs by an average of 25 percent and expand access in other parts
of the system," said PCMA President Mark Merritt. "For policymakers,
seniors are raising a red flag about drug manufacturers' role in
designing the drug benefit. Seniors don't want drug manufacturers
determining what drugs Medicare should pay for, especially if it means
higher premiums and co-payments. These data show that approach is a
political loser."
Among the key
findings:
-- More than
eight out of ten seniors think Medicare should make drug manufacturers
compete with one another to provide discounts on their drugs, rather
than accept the recommendations of the drug manufacturers about which
drugs should be covered. Eighty-two percent of seniors think that
"Medicare should make the drug manufacturers compete with one another to
provide discounts on their drugs, which could produce lower Medicare
premiums and co-pays," while only 8 percent think "Medicare should
accept the recommendations of the drug manufacturers to pay for as many
of their drugs as possible, even though that could lead to higher
Medicare premiums and co-pays." No differences emerge on this question
between Bush and Kerry voters.
-- Seven out
of ten seniors think it is a bad idea to have drug manufacturers helping
to determine which of their drugs Medicare should and should not cover.
Sixty-nine percent think involving the drug manufacturers in the
coverage decision is a bad idea, and only 15 percent think it is a good
idea. Sixty-four percent of Bush voters think it is a bad idea, as do 75
percent of Kerry voters.
-- Seniors
think the drug companies are motivated more by increasing their profits
than by providing seniors more choices when they work to have Medicare
cover as many of their own drugs as possible under the prescription drug
benefit. Fifty-four percent think the drug companies are motivated by
profits, and 25 percent think they are motivated by providing seniors
choices. Bush voters attribute drug company behavior to profits by a
margin of 43 to 33 percent, and Kerry voters agree by a margin of 66 to
16 percent.
-- More than
seven out of ten seniors prefer a drug plan like that enjoyed by members
of Congress, rather than a plan similar to one used by the Veterans
Administration. Seventy-two percent of seniors say "Medicare should
offer seniors a drug plan like members of Congress have, which offers a
choice of drug plans with at least 120 categories of drugs," while 11
percent say "Medicare should offer seniors a drug plan like the one used
by the Veterans Administration, which offers one national preferred drug
list with 34 categories of drugs."
The 120
categories is 26 fewer than is currently recommended by U.S.
Pharmacopeia in its draft guidelines. PCMA has long advocated that USP
should build on proven formularies from the commercial marketplace,
which typically rely upon 50 to 100 categories of drugs.
These new data
regarding senior voters' views about the structure of the new Medicare
drug benefit have important implications as the Administration and the
US Pharmacopeia work over the next six weeks to finalize model Medicare
formulary guidelines.
"We are a
crossroads," added Mr. Merritt. "With critical decisions pending about
the structure of Medicare model formulary guidelines, seniors have sent
a clear signal that they don't want the drug manufacturers involved in
determining which drugs Medicare will pay for -- especially if it means
higher premiums and copayments. These data suggest that approach may
well engender a senior backlash."
The
post-election survey of 800 voters 60 years of age and older was
conducted by Ayres, McHenry & Associates November 3-7, 2004 and has a
margin of error of plus or minus 5.24 percent. The complete poll and
summary of findings can be found at
http://www.pcmanet.org