Printable Version
September 22, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Alliance for Retired Americans Comment on Wal-Mart Plan to Offer $4 Prescription Drugs
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans.
The federal government should look to its friends at Wal-Mart and see that negotiating bulk discounts on prescription drugs can reduce the cost to consumers. Congress must change the 2003 Medicare “reform” law so it is no longer a federal offense for Medicare to try to save taxpayer’s dollars and lower the price you pay at the pharmacy counter.
This action by Wal-Mart in no way absolves it of its many failures as a responsible employer. For example, three-quarters of a million Wal-Mart workers lack health insurance. 46 percent of the children of Wal-Mart workers are uninsured or are on public health care. Wal-Mart passes on to taxpayers $1.2 billion in health care costs each year.
The White House and the Republican congressional leadership have long done Wal-Mart’s bidding. Now that it is good enough for Wal-Mart to negotiate bulk discounts, it ought to be good enough for the federal government and taxpayers to do the same.
This should not be the end, but rather the beginning, of the new federal action to ensure greater access to affordable prescription drug coverage for all Americans.
Conact: Michael Buckley
202-330-1913
Amy
Buffenbarger 202-637-5178
For more
information on the Alliance, visit www.retiredamericans.org
###