CA: Drug plan could save state $1 billion annually

Sac Bee ^ | 4/8/03 | Lawrence M. O'Rourke -- Bee Washington Bureau

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON -- Legislation moving through Congress could save California more than $1 billion annually in paying for prescription drugs for its senior and disabled citizens on both Medicare and Medicaid, according to a study released today.

The legislation -- sponsored by Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., and backed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield -- could also give California the opportunity to avoid severe cuts in other Medicaid services for children and parents, said the Commonwealth Fund of New York, a private health policy think-tank.

[NormsRevenge]

too bad we can't take the 1 billion and sedate and medicate a few politicians.

[evaporation-plus]

They are still in the denial phase......

[Hildy]

Why don't they do it ACCORDING TO MEANS..there are so many millionaires out there who can more than afford their medications. My Mom's meds come to $250 a month. That's with supplemental insurance. It's not great, I'm not happy, but thank God she can afford it and honestly, it doesn't really hurt her to pay it. So, instead of means testing, we give everyone their meds for free. No sir.

[Mo1]

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[tahiti]

"Why don't they do it ACCORDING TO MEANS..there are so many millionaires out there who can more than afford their medications."

The assumption is that in order to post a comment, that you become a member of FreeRepublic.com.

Your comment suggesting a means test for federal benefits is straight out of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.

[Hildy]

We're talking about free medication for Sr. citizens. So you believe all should get free meds just because they reach a certain age?

[tahiti]

Means testing is nothing but altruism.

The U.S. was not established to be altuistic. Liberty is dependent upon self-determination of private property and equal protection under the law.

Someone way smarter than me, states the definition of alruism below:

"The moral principle used to justify income redistribution is altruism. Altruism does not mean generosity or benevolent concern for the less fortunate. Altruism means: other-ism. It is the doctrine that it is your moral duty to live for others and to sacrifice your life, property and well-being for theirs. It is the code of self-sacrifice. Under altruism the productive are the ones who must give and the non-productive are those who receive. The inability or unwillingness of the non-productive to create wealth gives them a moral claim upon those who do."

[tahiti]

Here is the quote I was looking for when I made the earlier comment that means testing is straight out of the Communist Manifesto:

"Most Americans would be shocked to learn that altruism is the moral code that underlies Marxism (and thus Communism). Marx's credo was: "From each according to his ability; to each according to his need."