R 324
2003 -- S 1178
Enacted 07/02/03
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
MEMORIALIZING
THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT A MEDICARE
PRESCRIPTION
DRUG BENEFIT
Introduced
By: Senators Paiva-Weed, Perry, Goodwin, Roberts, and Sheehan
Date
Introduced: June 26, 2003
WHEREAS,
The appropriate use of prescription drugs may improve the quality of care
and
help patients live healthier, longer and more productive lives while keeping
them out of more
costly
acute care settings in the long-term; and
WHEREAS,
The increased use of new and improved prescription drugs has changed the
delivery
of health care in the United States since Medicare was enacted, and while
two-thirds of
the
Medicare population has some form of prescription drug coverage, although, it
is many times
inadequate,
one-third of Medicare beneficiaries have no coverage at all; and
WHEREAS,
Congress did not enact a drug benefit in the Medicare program, therefore
the
program is inadequate in providing the elderly and disabled the most
appropriate drug
therapies,
preventing the delivery of quality health care at an affordable cost; and
WHEREAS,
The private sector often provides affordable coverage by negotiating
discounts
on drugs and meeting the needs of special populations with chronic diseases and
those
with
co-morbidities through coordinating care with disease management, drug
utilization review
and
patient education programs, all of which aid in ameliorating medical errors;
and
WHEREAS,
Comprehensive reform of the Medicare program would utilize the
successful
tools of the private sector in coordinating care for this population; and
WHEREAS,
Congress' inaction has failed to provide for comprehensive reform of
Medicare,
encouraging states to use their own resources to ease the burden of their
elderly and
disabled
populations and effectively assume an unfounded, informal mandate; now,
therefore be
it
RESOLVED,
That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations
requests that the United States House of Representatives and the United States
Senate
enact
financially sustainable out-patient prescription drug coverage as part of the
federal
Medicare
program; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to
transmit
duly certified copies of this resolution to the entire Rhode Island
congressional
delegation.
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LC03560
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