Perspective               

Bush Offers Revised Rx Card

After a federal court struck down its first effort, the Bush Administration has come out with a revised plan for a government-endorsed prescription drug discount card. But consumer representatives and pharmacy trade groups say little has changed from the original plan and it still does not offer any meaningful savings. For example, the plan sets no minimum amount to be discounted, saying only that people with Medicare will receive "substantial savings."

Pharmacy groups are again asking a federal court to reject the prescription drug discount card program, arguing that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) still does not have the legal authority to implement the program. CMS says that if the court rules in favor of the pharmacy groups and does not allow them to go forward with the program, they will ask Congress for legislative action that will give CMS the authority to implement the program.

There are already many private prescription drug discount cards on the market, but studies have shown that they do little for the 20 million Americans with Medicare who have little or no prescription drug coverage.

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