AARP Asks U.S. Senator Norm Coleman to Stand Up to Big Drug Companies

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AARP State President Skip Humphrey today stood with a group of red-shirted AARP members and representatives of the Minnesota Senior Federation and the Elder Care Rights Alliance to urge U.S. Senator Norm Coleman to support legislation to give Medicare the authority to negotiate with drug companies for lower prescription drug prices.

"Senator Coleman has a chance to stand up to the big pharmaceutical lobby and give Medicare the power to use its leverage of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries to bargain for lower prescription drug prices," said Humphrey. "It's what Minnesotans want and it's the right thing to do."

There is overwhelming support by residents in Minnesota to allow Medicare to bargain for lower drug prices. According to a February AARP poll, 93% of Minnesota residents want Medicare to use its enormous bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs.

The current prohibition on Medicare negotiating with drug companies was written into law to appease the drug industry. Now, the big drug companies are fiercely working to kill this legislation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070404/pl_usnw/aarp_asks_u_s__senator_norm_coleman_to_stand_up_to_big_drug_companies

[central scrutinizer]

1. Fuck AARP

Those assholes endorsed Bushco's "medicare reform" package which was a huge windfall for those same drug companies.

[whistle]

2. Coleman will not stand up to big drugs, he'll only play act

[onehandle]

4. Yep. He's so "liberal" now that Franken is in the race.

Coleman, the spineless actor.

[Neecy]

3. hmmmm....

Didn't AARP support the original legislation, with the fixed pharma prices? There was a huge outcry from their membership over their position, with many suspecting that AARP's supplemental plans would benefit from the bill.

At least *now* they're doing the right thing, I suppose.

[MikMouse]

5. AARP is a branch of pharma and insurance

AARP appears to be a captive of corporate America. Its
publications moved from dynamic coverage of retired issues to
pablum for children. It does NOTHING to upset its corporate
owners. I dropped out over their gross mishandling of the
Medicare Part D legislation and urge others do the same.

It is a great loss to us older people.

Note that this action is not a national AARP thing, but an
individual state action. They had better be careful or the
national may close them down.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi MikMouse!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jean]

6. Rock on Skip!!! (He's the son of the late Hubert Humphrey)

Putting the screws to our empty suit senator, Norm Coleman, is an excellent use of AARP clout.