Assembly Joint Resolution No. 15–Committee on
Elections, Procedures, and Ethics

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Assembly Joint RESOLUTION—Urging Congress to provide a comprehensive plan for the coverage of prescription drugs within the Medicare program.

 

    Whereas, Prescription medications are vital to health care

today; and

    Whereas, Medicare represents a critically important source of

health insurance for older residents of Nevada and for residents of

Nevada with certain disabilities, and the coverage provided through

Medicare does not provide coverage for prescription drugs; and

    Whereas, Most beneficiaries of Medicare who seek coverage

for prescription drugs are required to obtain private or public

supplemental coverage to cover prescription drugs; and

    Whereas, According to the results of a study conducted by the

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and contained in

the AARP Public Policy Issue Brief #IB41, consisting primarily of

data collected in 1999 and based on an average of the different

levels of income as a percentage of the federally designated level

signifying poverty, beneficiaries of Medicare who are 65 years of

age or older spent an average of approximately $2,500 per year, or

19 percent of their income, on out-of-pocket health care expenses;

and

    Whereas, According to the AARP study, prescription drugs

constitute the largest component of out-of-pocket spending on

health care by beneficiaries of Medicare, averaging approximately

17 percent of the total out-of-pocket spending on health care and

accounting for more than the costs of physician care, vision services

and medical supplies combined; and

    Whereas, According to the study, the total spending on

prescription drugs in the United States grew by approximately 13

percent per year between 1993 and 2000 and is expected to grow by

approximately 12 percent per year through 2011; and

    Whereas, According to the study, beneficiaries of Medicare

made up approximately 15 percent of the population in 1999, but

accounted for approximately 40 percent of the total spending on

prescription drugs in the United States; and

    Whereas, According to the study, beneficiaries of Medicare

with supplemental coverage for prescription drugs are at risk of

losing such coverage, as evidenced by a decrease of coverage of

prescription drugs offered by certain employers from 31 percent in

1997 to 24 percent in 2001 and a decrease of coverage offered under

certain Medicare plans for prescription drugs from 65 percent in

1999 to 50 percent in 2002; and

    Whereas, Many older or disabled residents of Nevada who

receive Medicare benefits cannot afford supplemental coverage for

prescription drugs; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of

Nevada, Jointly, That the members of the 72nd Session of the

Nevada Legislature urge Congress to provide a comprehensive

universal plan for the uniform coverage of prescription drugs within

the Medicare program that will provide beneficiaries of Medicare

with stable access to prescription drugs on a voluntary basis, without

extraordinary out-of-pocket costs and without unreasonable

premiums, deductibles or copayments; and be it further

    Resolved, That the program of prescription drug coverage for

Medicare beneficiaries should have no requirement relating to the

use of state funds now used for existing State programs; and be it

further

    Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

transmit a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of the United

States as the presiding officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the

House of Representatives and each member of the Nevada

Congressional Delegation; and be it further

    Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon

passage.

 

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