COMMITTEE ON SENIORS
MINUTES: JUNE 20, 2005
MEMBERS: Chair: B. Spreckman; Legislators: J. Alvarado, V. Pinto, A. Stewart-Cousins, L. Bronz
With a quorum present Chairman Spreckman called to order The Committee on Seniors at 10:34.
Lillian Jones gave a presentation about “Welcome to Medicare” physicals. Initial physicals are now covered for new Medicare beneficiaries. She also discussed the American Cancer Society 2005 Legislative agenda.
Joe Fiscella, Chairman of the Westchester-Rockland Pharmaceutical Society talked about the safety concerns of prescription drugs from Canada. The pharmacists should be allowed to purchase the drugs and check them for safety. It is better then having individuals just buy them off the Internet with nobody to inspect them. They are concerned about the high cost of drugs and feel their needs to be more generic drugs available on the market. There is a joint state legislative bill which is pending in Albany; A8420(Nolan)/S5456-a(Spano). It is currently in The Senate & Assembly Labor Committee’s but the legislature is expected to recess this week. Will end discrimination between. The bill will level the playing field for pharmacies and patients. It will allow any patient to get the perscription that their doctor writes for them up to 90 days without an extra fee. In addition, if your insurance permits for prescriptions of up to 90 days by mail they must also allow for 90 days at the pharmacy. Chairman Spreckman will have a letter prepared for the legislators to sign and fax to Albany this week.
Lani Sanjek of New York Statewide Senior Action Council talked about two important bills in Albany which she expects will move this year. One will move ahead with a commission with how New York State can proceed with looking into how we can provide health insurance for everybody. Another law will look into bulk purchasing of prescription drugs.
On the Federal level bill numberHR.376 and S.334 will help keep working for lower drug prices and changes in the Medicare drug law that allow the negotiation of drug prices and allow imports from Canada and other countries.
A discussion followed about the problems the new medicare law are causing people in states, like New York which have laws similar to EPIC. People need to decide whether to enroll in medicare. They will have from October ’05 to May ’06. Between now and the end of the year everybody who is eligible for EPIC should be enrolled in it. We must inform people of what there options are.
Ms. Sanjek recommended we invite The Medicare Rights Center to attend a future Seniors Committee meeting to do a presentation on the new Medicare Part D options.
Seniors Committee adjourned at 12:10 pm.
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