Newsletters - Sands for State House

Press Release from Representative Tom Sands - February 16, 2004

Sands proposes pharmaceutical help for Iowa Seniors

Republicans initiate hotline, website to help seniors get better discounts

(DES MOINES) – State Rep. Tom Sands joined fellow House Republicans this week by proposing legislation to create a special hotline and website for seniors and other Iowans to get assistance with their prescription drugs.

“There are thousands of Iowans who are eligible for assistance with their drug costs, and yet they don’t know that they can get the help,” said Sands, R-Columbus Junction. “They need somewhere they can go to find out what they qualify for and how to get signed up for these discounts. That is where this bill – House File 2216 - steps in and fills that role. By picking up the phone and calling the hotline, we will work with them to get signed up for the discount program to meet their needs.”

House File 2216 creates a Prescription Drug Assistance Program under the direction of the Insurance Commissioner. The bill establishes a clearinghouse of information on the various discount programs. The Prescription Drug Assistance Program would assist Iowans in identifying which programs they qualify for and getting signed up for the discounts. They would do this either over the phone or via the Internet. Another function of the program would be to educate medical professionals as to the availability of the discount programs so that they can work with patients and help them lower their prescription expenses.

Presently there are over 300 pharmaceutical assistance programs available that can help seniors and other eligible Iowans get lower-cost prescription drugs. These programs, mostly run by the pharmaceutical companies, provide no-cost or low-cost prescriptions to seniors and others eligible. Projections made by the Insurance Commission estimate that helping eligible Iowans sign up for these programs will save them between $6 and $10 million per year.

The Prescription Drug Assistance Program may also play a role in helping Iowa seniors access the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

“States are responsible for helping their seniors get signed up for the Medicare benefit. It makes sense to us that we have this program serve that function,” concluded Sands. “We’ll be working with the Department of Human Services to integrate those efforts into the Prescription Drug Assistance Program, which may enable us to get federal funds to pay for the Program.”