Healthcare Reform
PhRMA Offers 'Platform for a Healthy America' To Expand Coverage, Improve Quality, Value of Health Care
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and its member companies have joined the discussions over national health care reform with comprehensive proposals of their own. Tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance coverage and PhRMA has outlined a strategy to expand access to care while improving its affordability and quality.
On the coverage front, proposals include covering the 12 million uninsured Americans already eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program by providing new federal incentives for states to simplify enrollment, eliminate administrative barriers to care and establish "express lane" enrolling procedures. PhRMA also proposes expanding private health insurance coverage through new refundable tax credits targeted at low-wage, small businesses and providing individual subsidies for low and moderate-income families to buy coverage on their own or through new pooling arrangements.
On the affordability/quality front, PhRMA is calling for major initiatives to prevent chronic diseases, which account for 75 percent of all health care spending in America. PhRMA is also recommending ways to provide care more effectively when diseases cannot be prevented. To help prevent diseases, pharmaceutical companies propose a reduction in obesity through a major nationwide public health campaign that equals the commitment of the intense effort that led to dramatically reduced smoking. We can also help prevent medical conditions and help to reduce health care costs by actively promoting employer-sponsored wellness programs that urge workers to pursue healthy lifestyles and take charge of their own health care.
The costly health care disparities suffered by racial and ethnic minorities could be erased through new national disease prevention initiatives and a public/private study commission could be formed to help improve the coordination of health care delivery and management of diseases.
Medicare
In just the fourth year of the Medicare prescription drug program, 90 percent of all beneficiaries now have comprehensive prescription drug coverage. Through Medicare Part D, about 14 million seniors and disabled Americans, who previously were uninsured or lacked comprehensive prescription drug coverage, now have access to needed medicines.
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Drug Importation
It is critical that we maintain our focus on comprehensive health reform to help all Americans access high-quality and affordable healthcare coverage. We should not pursue policies that could expose Americans to substandard drug products and potentially weaken the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by crippling the Agency’s ability to fulfill its mission in protecting public health and safety.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly said that if importation measures advocated by some members of Congress were to pass, the agency could not verify whether or not the medicines coming into U.S. borders from foreign countries are the real deal. And, former Secretaries of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala – under President Bill Clinton – and Tommy Thompson – under President George Bush – have both stated that they could not certify the safety of prescription medicines that come into the U.S. outside the current closed drug distribution system.
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Disease Prevention
America's research-based pharmaceutical companies are working actively in partnership with the U.S. Government and world health officials to make sure that patients have the vaccines and antiviral treatments they need to help prevent and treat the flu and avian flu.
Operational Framework for Partnering with Pharmacies for Administration of 2009 H1N1 Vaccine
CDC info on H1N1
World Health Organization recommendations for schools to reduce the impact of H1N1.