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CWA Backing Prescription Drug Benefit, Low-Power Radio
In letters to Congress recently, CWA asked lawmakers to back a proposed prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients and urged a subcommittee to throw out a bill that would shut down low-power FM radio stations.
The prescription plan would cover the bulk of the cost of medication for Medicare patients, regardless of their income or health.
“The lack of such a benefit has resulted in huge costs for catastrophic health care absorbed by poor Americans who are unable to afford much-needed medicines,” CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling wrote. “The Food and Drug Adminstration has estimated that the cost of hospitalizations caused by inappropriate use of prescription medicines was $20 billion annually.”
The rising cost of prescriptions has led employers to place caps on health coverage for retirees, forcing them to pay more medical bills out of pocket. By covering most of the cost of medication for seniors, the legislation would stabilize health benefits for retirees, Easterling’s letter said.
The U.S. House and Senate are considering identical bills. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) introduced H.R. 1495 and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced S. 841.
The bills would provide $1,700 a year to cover 80 percent of pharmacy costs for all seniors and eligible disabled recipients who spend more than $200 a year on prescription medication. The bills would cover 100 percent of the cost for Medicare recipients who spend more than $3,000 annually on prescriptions.
Another letter from Easterling asks the House Subcommittee on Telecommunica-tions, Trade and Consumer Protection to oppose legislation that would shut down low-power FM radio stations.
CWA members adopted a resolution at the 61st Convention last year to support the “micro-radio” stations, which serve thousands of communities across the country.
The bill, H.R. 3439, aims to bar the Federal Communications Commission from issuing rules that allow the stations. Commercial radio stations are seeking the legislation because they don’t want to compete with the tiny stations for listeners. In her letter, Easterling argued that the low-power stations give citizens more choice and access as commercial stations continue to merge.
“Low-power radio stations will enhance democracy by allowing communities to control and operate the media that serves them,” Easterling wrote. “Without locally operated radio stations, citizens are less able to participate fully in community activity, and civic culture withers.”
The bill would force the closure of low power stations that are already on the air. “By approving such legislation, Congress would authorize a policy of muzzling a media outlet,” Easterling wrote. “Such an action would be reminiscent of anti-free speech restrictions imposed by totalitarian dictatorships of the 20th century.”
The prescription plan would cover the bulk of the cost of medication for Medicare patients, regardless of their income or health.
“The lack of such a benefit has resulted in huge costs for catastrophic health care absorbed by poor Americans who are unable to afford much-needed medicines,” CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling wrote. “The Food and Drug Adminstration has estimated that the cost of hospitalizations caused by inappropriate use of prescription medicines was $20 billion annually.”
The rising cost of prescriptions has led employers to place caps on health coverage for retirees, forcing them to pay more medical bills out of pocket. By covering most of the cost of medication for seniors, the legislation would stabilize health benefits for retirees, Easterling’s letter said.
The U.S. House and Senate are considering identical bills. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) introduced H.R. 1495 and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced S. 841.
The bills would provide $1,700 a year to cover 80 percent of pharmacy costs for all seniors and eligible disabled recipients who spend more than $200 a year on prescription medication. The bills would cover 100 percent of the cost for Medicare recipients who spend more than $3,000 annually on prescriptions.
Another letter from Easterling asks the House Subcommittee on Telecommunica-tions, Trade and Consumer Protection to oppose legislation that would shut down low-power FM radio stations.
CWA members adopted a resolution at the 61st Convention last year to support the “micro-radio” stations, which serve thousands of communities across the country.
The bill, H.R. 3439, aims to bar the Federal Communications Commission from issuing rules that allow the stations. Commercial radio stations are seeking the legislation because they don’t want to compete with the tiny stations for listeners. In her letter, Easterling argued that the low-power stations give citizens more choice and access as commercial stations continue to merge.
“Low-power radio stations will enhance democracy by allowing communities to control and operate the media that serves them,” Easterling wrote. “Without locally operated radio stations, citizens are less able to participate fully in community activity, and civic culture withers.”
The bill would force the closure of low power stations that are already on the air. “By approving such legislation, Congress would authorize a policy of muzzling a media outlet,” Easterling wrote. “Such an action would be reminiscent of anti-free speech restrictions imposed by totalitarian dictatorships of the 20th century.”