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Prescription Drug Benefits
June 8, 2000
ISSUE:
It is believed that a prescription drug bill will not be passed
before the end of the current legislative session, which is
considerably shorter this year. The target date for adjournment
is October 6. There seems to be neither bipartisan nor bicameral
support in this election-charged year. This could be, however,
a good time to let lawmakers know about your concerns related
to prescription drug benefits.
ACTION:
Write your representative and your senators.
1. Contact your Senators and Representative to let them know
of your concerns related to the need for Medicare beneficiaries
to receive prescription drugs. If you know a personal story
that reinforces your concern, please describe it briefly. Let
them know you will also be communicating with their opponent
in the coming election. Ask your lawmakers' position on who
should be eligible for coverage, how and who would pay for benefits,
and what should be the role of the federal government. If you
agree with their response, thank them in a future correspondence.
If you disagree, let then know why, but be polite.
The Honorable _______
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable _________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
2. If your Senator or Representative is retiring after this
session of Congress, you should contact the candidates for that
office using the same strategy described above. The following
members of Congress have announced their intention not to seek
re-election in 2000:
Senators Connie Mack (R-Fla.) Richard Bryan (D-Nev.) Robert
Kerry (D-Neb.) Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) Daniel P. Moynihan
(D-N.Y.) Representatives Bill Archer (R-Tex., 7th) William L.
Clay (D-Mo., 1st) Bill Barrett (R-Neb., 3rd) Owen Pickett (D-Va.,
2 nd) Herbert Bateman (R-Va., 1st) Bruce Vento (D-Minn., 4th)
Charles Canady (R-Fla., 12th) Helen Chenoweth-Hage (R-Idaho,
1st) Tom Coburn (R-Okla., 2nd) Thomas Ewing (R-Ill., 15th) Tillie
Fowler (R-Fla., 4th) William Goodling (R-Pa., 19th) Rick Hill
(R-Mont., at-large) John Kasich (R-Ohio, 12th) Jack Metcalf
(R-Wash., 2nd) Ron Packard (R-Calif., 48th) Edward Pease (R-Ind.,
7th) John Porter (R-Ill., 10th) Matt Salmon (R-Ariz., 1st) Mark
Sanford (R-S.C., 1st) House Members Seeking Election to the
Senate Tom Campbell (R-Calif., 15th) Ron Klink (D-Pa., 4th)
Bob Franks (R-N.J., 7th) Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich., 8th) Bill
McCollum (R-Fla., 8th) Robert Weygand (D-R.I., 2nd)
3. Seek a way to express your concern about prescription drugs
to the presidential candidates. If you attend a campaign meeting
where they are present, try to voice your opinion. Also try
to contact the local or regional Democratic or Republican party
leaders and ask that they relate your concerns to the offices
of the presidential candidates. This will be more effective
if done before the party conventions this summer.
4. In all of your correspondence, identify yourself as a person
of faith. Let them know you are a Presbyterian (or state your
denomination). Please inform the PC(USA) Washington Office of
any responses from your Representative or Senators.
Subscribe to PC(USA) Washington Office list serve on Health
Care. Send an e-mail message to wo-health-request@pcusa.org
and include in the message the word, subscribe. This read-only
list provides action alerts, legislative updates and background
documents on public policy related to health care.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUIDANCE:
The 211th General Assembly (1999) adopted two reports from
the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy: "Health
Care: Policies and Activities" and "Managed Care."
Concerns for beneficiaries of Medicare are addressed in both.
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