prescription drugs

The 2019 session of the Texas Legislature resulted in passage of bills that AARP Texas is calling on Governor Greg Abbott to sign into law to improve the wellbeing of older Texans and other consumers.

When it comes to affording the medications our doctors prescribe, we all have heard about cost-cutting measures. Pill splitting, skipping doses, not filling prescriptions, and shopping through online pharmacies are all common practices. However, when it comes to health outcomes and fraud, many of these practices have some serious risks.

AMERICANS 50-PLUS ARE THE NATION’S MOST POWERFUL VOTING BLOC. This election, Medicare, Social Security, support for family caregivers, and prescription drug costs are all on the line.

Retail prices for many of the most commonly-used brand name drugs by older adults rocketed upward by an average of 8.4 percent in 2017, outstripping the general inflation rate of 2.1 percent. The annual average cost of therapy for just one brand name drug increased to almost $6,800 in 2017.

 

In the 2016 Presidential election, 382,606 Granite Staters  over 50+ voted.   In the 2014 mid-term election, 337,472 turned out.  Meet the state’s largest and most reliable voting bloc.  Just over 500,000 people over 50 years old call New Hampshire home, some 230,000 of whom we are honored to call AARP members.  It’s time for this bloc, like prior generations, to begin repairing broken government at the voting booth.

As the price of prescription drugs continues to rise, you might find yourself searching online for more affordable medications. Beware of bogus companies that take your money and never send you the product.  Or worse, they send you a product that could cause you harm.

At the AARP Oregon State Office we hear almost weekly from a member who can’t afford prescription drugs and has to make the hard choice to skip a medication dose or cut the pill in order to make ends meet. That’s why we were especially pleased to help pass legislation during Oregon’s short session that will make the cost of drugs more “transparent” in our state.

With the 2018 legislative session under way, AARP Oklahoma is pressing for bills related to caregiving, prescription drugs and assisted living facilities.

The State of Delaware has eliminated the Senior Prescription Assistance Program due to cuts in the budget approved this past July. The State sent a letter to each senior who had been receiving assistance through the program, telling them the program was ending. The letter also explained that seniors who were losing the state benefit had the option to switch to a Part D prescription plan with a lower premium.