Brian Schweitzer Seeking Federal Permission For Cheap-Drugs Plan

[laughingliberal]

HELENA, Mont. — The governor of Montana asked Tuesday for federal permission to sell cheaper prescription drugs in his state through the federal Medicaid program, a proposal he expects will catch the eye of other cash-strapped states.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who launched his political career a decade ago by taking busloads of seniors to Canada to buy cheap drugs, said the waiver would allow Montana residents to get the drugs at about half the retail price.

Schweitzer said the federal government can get cheap drug prices for Medicaid, the federal program for seniors and low-income residents, because of Congress' negotiations with special interest groups. Those prices are far less than the price for those on Medicare, which usually serves the elderly, or private insurance plans, he added.

He said he got a copy of a highly confidential Medicaid drug price list by getting his chief of staff to sign a nondisclosure agreement that is usually handled at the state agency level. Schweitzer said it is obviously unfair to charge one group of people far less than another group of people for the same product.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/brian-schweitzer-prescription-drugs-medicaid_n_784613.html

[laughingliberal]

1. kick nt

[glinda]

2. K & R Am for this as husband now has to get his meds from Canada. Cannot afford US prices anymore.

Turns out his generics are the same price as the regular. Go figure. Rip off.

[laughingliberal]

3. Only reason not to implement this plan would be to continue protecting drug company profits.

With all the states struggling to keep up, I hope to see more governors looking at this.

[leftstreet]

4. K&R

[Kennah]

5. Governor Schweitzer is awesome!

I get my meds from Canada, and both the wife and I will be buying most of our maintenance meds from Canada--with or without a similar approach in Washington state.