Statement of CALPIRG Health Care Advocate Emily Clayton on the prescription drug discount agreement
“CALPIRG
is pleased to join a broad coalition of organizations representing
consumers, seniors, working families and communities of color in
supporting SB 1702 and AB 2911 by Senator Perata and Speaker Núñez.
This legislation is a crucial step forward in the ongoing fight to
bring affordable medicine to all Californians.
"The
discounts provided by this legislation will lower the cost of
prescription drugs for more than five million low and moderate income
uninsured Californians. The plan gives the pharmaceutical industry
three years to voluntarily offer meaningful discounts. If they refuse,
the state may, just as all large insurers do, use the weight of its
purchasing power to induce discounts. The legislation also includes a
series of strong consumer protections that ensure no Medi-Cal patient
will be denied access to a medically necessary drug.
"The
prescription drug discount program agreement that is being worked out
with Governor Schwarzenegger will concretely help the millions of
Californians who need it most. We commend Senator Perata, Speaker Núñez
and the Governor’s office for working so diligently to make sure that
we have a workable program with strong consumer safeguards that can go
into effect very soon.”
CALPIRG
is a statewide non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy
organization. SB1702 and AB 2911 are supported by: AARP California,
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, CALPIRG, Consumers Union, NOW California,
California Labor Federation AFL-CIO, California Alliance for Retired
Americans, Congress of California Seniors, Greenlining Institute,
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Health Access California,
MALDEF, OuRx Coalition, Senior Action Network, Service Employees
International Union and others.
