Prescription Drug Assistance
Compiled by Marian G. Rogers, April 2001
Updated October 2003
http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/pubs/tapthepower.htm
Dose of Reality: How Drug Price Controls Would Hurt Americans. National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 2000. (614.25/N21) A policy paper discussing how price controls would harm drug research and development. Contains bibliography. http://www.ntu.org/P0002-07.pdf
Free & Low Cost Prescription Drugs. Cost Containment Research Institute, 2000. (614.25/C82) A ". . . listing of drugs made by manufacturers who have patient assistance programs." - page 4.
How Much Are Medicare Beneficiaries Paying Out-of-Pocket for Prescription Drugs? American Association of Retired Persons, Public Policy Institute, 1999. (369.32/Am3e) http://research.aarp.org/health/9914_how_much.pdf
Medicaid and Prescription Drugs: An Overview. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, October 2000. (369.33/K12h) Prepared by Brian K. Bruen of the Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. http://www.kff.org/content/2000/2202/mcaidandrx.pdf
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. National Academy of Social Insurance, April 1999. http://www.nasi.org/Medicare/Briefs/medbr1.htm
Medicare Supplement Insurance Approved Policies. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, July 1999. (369.32/W7g1) January 2001 edition online: http://badger.state.wi.us/agencies/oci/pub_list/pi-010.htm
Prescription Drug Benefits: Cost Management Issues for Medicare. American Association of Retired Persons, Public Policy Institute, 2000. (369.32/Am3j) Addresses the issue of drug benefit management by private contractors. http://research.aarp.org/health/2000_09_cost.pdf
Prescription Drug Costs: States Show the Nation How to Spell Relief. Eric B. Schnurer and Charles R. Lyons, The Center for National Policy. Links to state programs which help with drug costs. The authors say these programs will have to be modified if a federal Medicare prescription program is enacted. http://www.cnponline.org/Issue%20Briefs/Statelines/statelin0600.htm
[Prescription Drug Discount, Price Control, Rebate, and Bulk Purchasing Legislation in the States.] National Conference of State Legislatures, updated March 2001. (614.25/N211) 1999-2000: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugdisc.htm 2001: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugdisc01.htm
Prescription Drug Pricing in the United States: Drug Companies Profit at the Expense of Older Americans. U.S. House of Representatives' Prescription Drug Task Force, October 20, 1998. http://www.house.gov/allen/212.pdf
Prescription Drugs: Expanding Access to Federal Prices Could Cause Other Price Changes. U.S. General Accounting Office, 2000. (614.25/X5/pt.7) Provides information on federal drug price discounts and purchasing methods.
Prescription Drugs for Medicare Beneficiaries: 10 Important Facts. Consumers Union, April 14, 2000. (369.32/c761) Contains data and facts to aid in formulating a prescription drug benefit. http://www.consumersunion.org/health/drugdc400.htm
"Prescription Drugs: What's Next?" Project HOPE, Health Affairs, March/April 2000. (614.23/P94/2000/v.19, no.2) This issue is dedicated to the discussion of prescription drugs, Medicare, managed care, and drug costs.
SeniorCare, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, updated May 2002, Budget Brief 01-3 A 2-page brief describing Wisconsin's newly created prescription drug assistance program. http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/pubs/budbriefs/01bb3.pdf
Southern Wisconsin Seniors Pay More for Prescription Drugs While Pharmaceutical Profits Soar: An Investigation Into Prescription Drug Price Discrimination in Southern Wisconsin. Public Citizen, Inc., 2000. (614.25/P96) A random survey of pharmacies in southern Wisconsin, checking prices of the ten most commonly prescribed drugs for older adults. http://www.citizen.org/congress/drugs/statereports/wisconsin.htm
State Pharmacy Assistance Programs. American Association of Retired Persons, Public Policy Institute, 1999. (369.33/Am31c) ". . . [P]rovides basic information on the structure, enrollment, and administration of state pharmacy assistance programs." - page 1. http://research.aarp.org/health/9905_pharm.pdf
State Pharmacy Programs: Assistance Designed to Target Coverage and Stretch Budgets. U.S. General Accounting Office, 2000. (369.33/X10) Includes outpatient prescription drug programs of various states; some funding sources include tobacco settlement funds, lottery and casino revenues, and cigarette taxes. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/he00162.pdf
State Senior Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs. National Conference of State Legislatures, updated March 14, 2001. (369.32/N212b) http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugaid.htm
State Senior Pharmaceutical Subsidy Proposals, 2001. National Conference of State Legislatures, updated March 14, 2001. (369.32/N212c) Examples of 2001 legislation in states which do not have pharmaceutical assistance programs. http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugaid01.htm
"States' Rx for Drug Costs". Richard Cauchi, State Legislatures, January 2001, pp.20, 21, 23. (328.11/N214/vol.27, no.1) "With skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs creating real hardships for the elderly and the uninsured, some states acted quickly to expand access." - table of contents.
Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, 2000. (369.32/W7g2) Describes the Medicare program and health insurance available to those on Medicare. 2001 edition online: http://badger.state.wi.us/agencies/oci/pub_list/pi-002.htm
Audiotapes
National Conference of State Legislatures, Forum for State Health Policy Leadership, 2000.
Pharmaceutical Benefits and Costs Under Medicaid. (369.33/N21q) One sound cassette (43:45 minutes).
Prescription Drugs: Frank Talk About Costs, Coverage and Quality. (614.25/N211a) One sound cassette (44:02 minutes).
Some Programs in Other States
Illinois:
Circuit Breaker/Pharmaceutical Assistance Program.
http://www.state.il.us/aging/circtbkrflyr.pdf
Circuit Breaker and Pharmaceutical Programs.
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/resources/faq/cbpharm.html
Indiana: Prescription Drug Plan for Low-Income Seniors.
http://www.state.in.us/fssa/rxprogram/rxhome.htm
Maine: Prescription Drug Assistance Program.
http://www.state.me.us/dhs/beas/medbook.htm
Massachusetts: Senior Pharmacy assistance program.
http://www.state.ma.us/elder/faq.html
Michigan: Michigan Emergency Pharmaceutical Program For Seniors. http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/mass/OSAMSRD/MSRDMEPP/msrdmeix.html
Minnesota: Prescription Drug Program.
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/hlthcare/asstprog/prescription_drugs.htm
New York: Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program. http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/epic/faq.htm
South Carolina: SILVERxCARD: South Carolina Senior's Prescription Drug Program. http://www.silverxcard.com/
BadgerLink: www.badgerlink.net
Search the ProQuest Newspapers and EBSCOhost databases for full text articles. Suggested search words: drug costs and seniors, drugs costs, and prescription drugs.
Related Web Sites
http://research.aarp.org/ppi/index.html - American Association of Retired Persons' Public Policy Institute.
http://www.consumerreports.org/Special/ConsumerInterest/Reports/0102dru0.html - Consumer Reports Online. "Prescription for Trouble: Some Web Sites Make It All Too Easy to Get Medicine Without Getting Appropriate Medical Advice."
http://www.kff.org - The Kaiser Family Foundation. A site full of information and links to information on all facets of health and insurance. Special sections provide information on Medicaid and the uninsured, prescription drugs, and Medicare.
http://www.aoa.gov/NAIC/Notes/presciptiondrugs.html - National Aging Information Center.
http://www.phrma.org/ - Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/prescriptions/ - "Prescription Drug Coverage: A Health Spotlight Special Report".
http://www.medicare.gov/Prescription/Home.asp - U.S. Health Care Financing Administration Prescription Drug Assistance Programs.
http://www.house.gov/berry/prescriptiondrugs/studies.htm - U.S. House of Representatives' Prescription Drugs Task Force.
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/programs.htm - Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services - Programs & Services
http://badger.state.wi.us/agencies/oci/srissues.htm - Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance - Senior Issues.
Clippings: (Noncirculating; available for use in the library; clippings prior to 1981 are on microfiche)
- Drugs; sale of prescription drugs; pharmacies: 614.25/Z
- Medical assistance - Old age; Medicare: 369.32/Z
- Medical assistance - Poor; Medicaid: 369.33/Z
