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WAC ADVOCACY ALERT
March 1, 2002
Prescription Drug Bill provides Access to Low-Cost Drugs for Thousands and
Saves State Money
One in four Americans—about 70 million—have no insurance covering prescription drugs. In Washington State, that
number is approximately 1.2 million people, or 21% of our population, including nearly one million people under age 65.
Washingtonians without prescription drug coverage pay a disproportionately high cost for their drugs—twice
what the federal government pays, and 30-70% more than the citizens of Canada and Mexico pay for the same
drugs. Our government, HMOs, insurance companies and large corporations are all able to negotiate far lower
prescription drug prices, leaving individual consumers out in the cold.
The high cost of prescription drugs leads many patients to lower their prescribed dosage or simply forgo
medication all together, often resulting in higher medical costs and more urgent health concerns in the long run.
Others simply must decide between prescriptions drugs and putting food on the table.
This year, our state faces a deficit of $1.6 billion. This budget shortfall is the worse that this state has seen in 40
years. One factor that has led to this shortfall, is the increasing costs associated with the Medicaid program.
The single biggest cost increase in the Medicaid program is attributed to the escalating costs of prescription
drugs. According to the Department of Social and Health Services, $1 Billion will be spent in the 2001-03
biennial budget on prescription drugs.
We have an opportunity this session to address this problem. ESSB 6368 would create a joint purchasing
authority for prescription drugs for state supported insurance programs. It is estimated that this
consolidated purchasing of prescription drugs will result in as much as $200 million in savings annually in the upcoming
biennium, without negatively impacting standards of care.
In spite of massive concerted lobbying action and an extensive misinformation campaign orchestrated by the
pharmaceutical industry, the preferred prescription drug bill continues to move forward. On February 28 the
House Health Care Committee approved ESSB 6368. The savings associated with this bill will be crucial in
preserving other parts of the human services budget. This bill will next go to the House Appropriations
Committee and then on to the full House for consideration and a vote.
We must continue to express our support for this important measure in order to
balance the pressure being applied to the Legislature by drug companies who
oppose it.
TAKE FIVE
ISSUE: Affordable Housing in Washington, particularly for low-income residents, is becoming much more
difficult to provide. This year, an important bill would address the shortage in funding for low-income housing.
SHB 2060 would generate $12 million annually for local and state low-income housing efforts through a $10 surcharge on documents
recorded in county auditors’ offices.
This bill passed out of the House of Representatives and now will be heard in the Senate Ways and Means
Committee. SHB 2060 might be the most important bill this year for providing funding to assist low-income
housing.
ACTION: Please Ask your Senator to support SHB 2060 as is -- no
amendments. You can explain that SHB 2060 is now a consensus bill, endorsed by a diverse collection of over 30 business,
government, human service and housing interests; and the House passed it by more than a two-thirds majority!
Message: “Please support SHB 2060. Please make sure the funds
generated by this legislation are used for their intended purpose of developing low-income housing and not diverted to help offset the
deficit.”
Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000
Sara Merten Merten@thewac.org |
