[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 152 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 152

Expressing the sense of Congress that urgent action is needed to limit 
the hardship endured by senior citizens when meeting their prescription 
                              drug needs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 1999

  Mr. Mascara (for himself, Mr. Wamp, and Mr. Ackerman) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that urgent action is needed to limit 
the hardship endured by senior citizens when meeting their prescription 
                              drug needs.

Whereas there are 39,000,000 medicare beneficiaries in the United States, an 
        estimated 35 percent of whom do not have prescription drug insurance 
        coverage;
Whereas senior citizens make up 12 percent of the population in America but 
        consume 33 percent of the prescription drugs;
Whereas senior citizens must fill an average of 18.5 prescriptions annually;
Whereas senior citizens spend 3 times as much of their income on health care as 
        do those under the age of 65;
Whereas prescription drug prices have risen at 3 times the rate of inflation in 
        recent years;
Whereas many senior citizens live on fixed incomes and are unable to afford 
        costly and unforeseen prescription drug costs;
Whereas prescription drug costs in the United States are between 30 and 50 
        percent higher than in Europe;
Whereas the cost of private health plans with prescription drug benefits are 
        usually prohibitively expensive and inadequate for those on fixed 
        incomes without insurance;
Whereas senior citizens without a prescription drug benefit must fill their 
        prescriptions at a cost at least twice as high as those with insurance; 
        and
Whereas current drug manufacturing industry pricing practices favor customers 
        who buy larger quantities than smaller retail businesses: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) prescription drug accessibility is crucial to the well-
        being of our country's senior citizens;
            (2) prescription drug costs should not prohibit our 
        Nation's seniors from taking the vital steps necessary to 
        maintain their health;
            (3) extending prescription drug benefits to seniors should 
        not require the creation of extensive new bureaucracies, 
        regulations, or price controls; and
            (4) Congress should pursue legislative measures to address 
        this matter as soon as possible.
                                 <all>