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Friday Alert November 2, 2007
Alliance for Retired Americans
888 16th Street, N.W. - Washington DC, 20006 - (202)
974-8222 - www.retiredamericans.or
As SCHIP Funding Deadline
Nears, Obstructionists Still Standing
Together
The Senate on Thursday held its
latest vote on the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP), and the outcome was similar to past roll
calls. The Senate voted to pass H.R. 3963, 64-30, and
President Bush immediately vowed another veto. To see how
your Senator voted, click here. H.R. 3963 passed the House
last week, but supporters were shy of the two-thirds majority
needed to override Bush's threatened veto. “In a
situation of unusual political complexity, Republicans dictated
the decision to pass the legislation speedily. It appeared
their goal was to short-circuit attempts by supporters of the
bill to reach a compromise that could attract enough votes in
the House to override Bush's veto,” the Associated
Press reported. Funding for SCHIP would expire on
November 15 unless Congress and the President act to extend the
program. Two Senators at the forefront of the battle,
Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles
Grassley (R-IA), have been meeting with a handful of
House Republicans to thrash out a possible compromise.
Sen. Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, later said the
group reached “an agreement in concept,” on some
issues, and is close to a deal. Democratic aides said they
fear aides to Minority Leader John Boehner
(R-OH) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) have
pushed their way into talks on the children's health bill to
block a deal with wavering Republicans, not seal one.
Administration Appeals Ruling
on Release of Medicare Data for Doctors
The
Bush administration has appealed a federal judge’s ruling
favoring Consumers’ Checkbook, a non-profit organization
suing for detailed Medicare claims data to be released for use
in rating individual doctors. According to The Wall
Street Journal, the information is found in claims paid by
Medicare, and includes data on types of procedure performed,
year, diagnosis, and the doctor identification number.
Consumers’ Checkbook intends to use the information to
produce a website to help patients make informed decisions about
choosing a physician, such as researching how many times a
doctor has performed a procedure or how closely treatment
recommendations are followed. “Retirees need and
demand all the facts possible,” said George J.
Kourpias, President of the Alliance. “Why
does the Administration feel the need to hide this
information?”
GAO Report Recommends More
Seniors be Included in Clinical Drug Trials
A
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, released recently
by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman
Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward
Kennedy (D-MA), sheds light on the issue of seniors not
being included in new drug studies. Those 65 and older use
drugs at a higher rate than younger people, in part because
seniors experience higher rates of certain diseases - such as
cancer, Parkinson's disease, and heart disorders. Older
people are also more likely than younger adults to experience
complications when taking some prescription drugs. As a
result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that it
is important that drugs be studied for use by older people
during the clinical drug trials - that is, those drug studies
conducted by drug sponsors before they submit an application to
have a drug approved for marketing. Failing to include
sufficient numbers of seniors in clinical drug trials may make
it less likely that safety concerns and effectiveness outcomes
unique to older people will be detected during the clinical drug
trials. The GAO report suggests that, when necessary,
exclusion criteria focus on more relevant issues, such as either
the presence of an illness that could make participation in the
clinical drug trial dangerous or the person's inability to
provide informed consent, rather than on age alone. FDA
officials said that the agency expects their medical officers to
assess the safety and effectiveness of a drug for older people
when they review data; however, these expectations are not
currently conveyed in agency guidance.
Health Care Industry Giving
to Democrats More Than Republicans
Unlike in
previous Presidential elections, Democrats are raising far more
money in health care industry campaign contributions than
Republicans. According to a recent article in The New
York Times, Democratic presidential candidates have
received approximately $6.5 million from doctors, drug makers,
hospitals and insurers, while Republicans have collected
about $4.8 million. The difference in giving
occurred despite several candidates proposing significant
changes to the country’s health care system. Experts
see the contributions as a “defensive measure,” as
the industry tries to ensure that their concerns about reform
are heard. With health care considered a priority issue
for voters, Democrats have offered plans to reduce prescription
drug prices and insurance premiums, control overall health costs
and expand medical coverage. The number of contributions
has increased as such ideas have been given more attention by
both the candidates and the media. “This change in
giving by the health care industry demonstrates, in part, the
Democratic presidential candidates’ strong showing in
polls,” said Ruben Burks,
Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.
Grandparents Continue to be
Important Voice for Other
Generations
Grandparents continue to help
other generations and act as an important voice for children, as
two national organizations have partnered to promote
“family-friendly child welfare policy” and keeping
families together. The National Committee of Grandparents
for Children’s Rights (NCGCR) and the National Association
of Former Foster Care Children of America, Inc. are
collaborating to advocate for policies that focus on placing
kids in homes of relatives and nurturing stronger family ties
through visitation in child welfare cases where there is an
absence of parental support. Brigitte
Castellano, Executive Director of the NCGCR and an
Alliance community-based board member, said, “It is an
association where our focus is the same – supporting the
needs of children who lack parental support.”
Did You Know
...
Americans over age 55 make up the
fastest-growing segment of health-club members. There were
8.5 million in 2006, up from 1.5 million about 20 years ago,
according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub
Association (Wall Street Journal).
Become part of a progressive grassroots movement!
Join the Alliance
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Alliance for Retired Americans 815 16th
St, NW Washington, DC 20006 www.retiredamericans.org
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