It's a small step, but I received a piece of campaign material the other day asking me to "thank" my Congressman, Tom O'Halleran (D.Az) for taking a stand against high Rx prices.  Imagine my astonishment!  So I fired off a letter to the Red Rock News:

"I received a piece of campaign material promoting Congressman Tom O'Halleran and his alleged fight against high prescription drug prices. When O'Halleran was first elected, I contacted him regarding those with Medicare Part D who have rare diseases and require specialty medications to save their lives.  These specialty meds are priced so high that virtually nobody can afford them.  These diseases include multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), and hundreds more. 

Individuals with commercial insurance can obtain financial assistance from drug manufacturers to help defray the high cost of these drugs. But those on Medicare Part D and other government-assisted prescription plans cannot.   The anti-kickback provision of the Social Security Act makes it a felony for drug manufacturers to provide the same financial assistance which they provide to those with commercial insurance to help defray the cost of the drug to patients covered by  government-assisted plans, including Medicare Part D. 

I had a meeting with O'Halleran. I explained that people who cannot afford these specialty meds can be helped only by amending this provision of the Social Security Act to exclude financial assistance by drug companies to Part D and other government-assisted RX plan patients. A few lines of legislation and the stroke of a pen would solve the problem. He listened and basically gave me a "don't call me, I'll call you."  I never heard from him again.  His staff would not return my emails or telephone calls. As for those of us with these diseases who have to choose between our medicines and food, we're still waiting for this very simple solution to at least part of the health care crisis.  So thank you, Rep. O'Halleran, for absolutely nothing."

While it is a small Sedona-based paper, it is circulated over much of Northern Arizona, and I have sent a similar one to the Arizona Republic which serves the entire state.  It is too long for them to publish, but maybe someone in Phoenix will wake up and do a report on it.

Best regards to all,

Susan