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When thousands of people donate no more than $100 per person per election, we can build a campaign without money from special interests. _______________________ But it's about more than money. We need your energy and your enthusiasm, too. Sign up to volunteer on Jim Hansen's campaign for Congress.
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| Confusing drug reform for seniors endangers future of Medicare |
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| posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 |
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Congress and pharmaceutical companies made a prescription drug deal that is harmful and expensive for seniors and taxpayers, and we are paying for that deal this summer, said Jim Hansen, a Congressional candidate in Idaho’s 2nd District.
Hansen met with seniors in the Magic Valley on Wednesday and Thursday to talk about Congress’ drug benefit legislation, adopted in 2003, and the future of Medicare.
Corporate special interests spent $141 million in 2003 when the so-called prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients was adopted, according to Public Citizen, a watchdog group that tracks money and politics. Drug companies and HMOs paid for 952 lobbyists – nearly two lobbyists for every member of Congress – to ensure passage of a bill that lines their pockets at the expense of older Americans.
“Seniors and pharmacists were left with a confusing bureaucratic system that has caused frustration, anxiety and constantly rising cots,” Hansen said. “We all know drugs can be addictive. We are now finding out that campaign money from drug companies and lobbyists is even more addictive. It shifts the focus of Congress away from the people our representatives are elected to serve.”
The bill’s unnecessarily high costs eventually will create a financial “crisis” that will prompt opponents of Medicare to start calling for radical cuts in one of America’s most popular and vital programs, Hansen warned.
“We must not let unsound policy endanger the future of Medicare,” he said. “Our parents and grandparents deserve affordable health care that allows them to live with dignity and security.”
To show his commitment to ending the corrupting influence of big money in Washington, Hansen’s grassroots campaign is fueled by people giving no more than $100 each. He will not accept money from political action committees (PACs), corporations or other special interests.
“It’s about restoring trust,” Hansen said. “People understand that he who pays the piper calls the tune.”
Hansen’s opponent, four-term incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson, told the Boston Globe in November 2003 that he was among a group of House conservatives who believed the bill was too expensive and didn’t allow enough competition.
“The first good night’s sleep I got was when I decided no way in hell could I vote for this in good conscience,” Simpson told the Globe.
But when it came time to vote, Simpson changed his position and voted to approve the legislation.
“In our democracy, money and politics should not get in the way of good policy, not to mention a good night’s sleep,” Hansen said.
Congress must return to this issue and fix glaring problems before they get worse. Hansen proposes to:
End the ban on affordable pharmaceuticals from Canada.
Permit the government to negotiate for lower prices on behalf of Medicare recipients, as it does for veterans.
Fill the insurance coverage gap that requires seniors to pay their own drug costs between $2,251 and $5,100.
“Americans have carefully invested in a Medicare system that serves the people,” Hansen said. “They deserve a system that is efficient and effective, stripped of special favors to big donors,”
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