Prescription Drug Legislation: How Much Can We Change?

As anyone who has a remote interest in politics has noticed, seems to being steering congress into a new direction, one thatthe new democratic leadership has not been seen for over twelve years. Case in point, the new Prescription Drug Bill which requires the Secretary of Health and Humans Services to negotiate with drug suppliers for lower prices. This bill reflects a new policy change in Congress, but according to some interest groups, the system remains flawed and vulnerable to private interests.
Interestingly enough, the bill was passed during the whirlwind of legislative activity known as the Democrats “First 100-Hours.” During this period (first 100 hours of official Democratic leadership) six major pieces of legislation were passed by the House, and now await the Senate’s decision.
This new bill could not have come at a better time for elderly in America. Two factors seem to be pushing the elderly farther into the margins our society. Firstly, the increasing cost of living vs. their fixed and hopelessly inadequate income. As many of us can see today, many senior citizens today rely almost solely on their social security checks, a role for which they were not intended to fill. As a result, many senior citizens live in scarcity, making for the acquisition of necessary medication difficult and uncommon. The second strain on senior citizens is the increasing strain on the system by one, the increasing age of the U.S. population, and despite recent events, the second factor is a trend toward privatization of the medicare industry.