Appointment of former Bush One Cabinet
member indication of how pharmacy benefit managers hope to benefit from
Medicare bill
and links to Bush
by Daniel Hines
Publisher
America's Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
Express Scripts, one of the nation's
largest pharmacy benefits mangers in the United States, says that it has
named former Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff
Samuel Skinner to its board of directors.
Surprise, Surprise!
Now what value does Mr. Skinner bring
to Express Scripts, which hopes to grow even more with the implication
of the otherwise disastrous Medicare bill? Is it his experience in
transportation? Doubtful. Is it the fact that he is now
retired as chairman of a trucking company? Equally doubtful.
But what does that leave? A connection to the Administration and a
direct line to President George W. Bush because of the service Mr.
Skinner provided for the first President Bush? Bingo!
Having served for decades in Corporate
PR before striking out on my own, I am well aware of the 'good old boys'
club philosophy of adding board members. The shared directorships
go well with the country clubs to which these people belong.
I have a bit more difficult time,
however, when public officials move into the private sector and build
upon their association with powerful persons such as the former
President and now his son.
In short, this seems to be nothing
more than the solidification of influence by a special industry segment
hopeful of using such contacts to enhance its own position.
Am I distrustful? You had better
believe it. We have been a leader in the fight to stop the abuse
of our system and its dreadful impact upon the health and well-being of
seniors.
Too many companies are benefiting from
a seemingly benign neglect of the abuse of power, thanks in large part
to an administration that tells us to trust the market place and the
good intentions of the providers and managers of our health.
The Bush Administration has made
possible the passage of legislation that further enriches such
people. I think of the admonition that competitive pressures will
ensure that seniors get lower-cost prescriptions under the new Medicare
bill.
And then, I read of Glaxo admitting that is blocked low-cost generic
forms of its Relafen arthritis medicine, a violation of U.S. Anti-Trust
laws, a transaction that cost them $175 million.
But, surely this is an isolated
case. Not hardly. Even Express Scripts has fallen under a
cloud of its own. The following is from a Newsday article:
"Suffolk
Comptroller Joseph Sawicki has ordered an expanded audit of Express
Scripts Inc., the nation's third-largest prescription drug plan manager,
saying he is "extremely concerned" the company may be
overbilling the county by pocketing rebates and discounts.
The comptroller ordered the audit in light of recent lawsuits brought
against the St. Louis-based company by two New York State unions, a
probe by New York's attorney general, as well as litigation and audit
findings in other states. Sawicki also noted the county recovered $2
million in overbilling in 1998 from a drug plan manager the county no
longer uses."
Ironically, this
appointment to such a Washington insider comes at the same time that
Express Scripts is applying for a Medicare endorsement of a prescription
drug discount card. Read on:
"The Pharmacy
Care Alliance, a partnership between Express Scripts Inc. and the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, has submitted its application
to the federal government seeking Medicare endorsement of a prescription
drug discount card."
So, we shall watch as
the Medicare debate continues. And, we shall watch to see what
relationships form.