I sent out letters to the White House and my Congressional Representatives this morning. I hope you will all join me in letting your voices be heard regarding the new Medicare proposals before Congress which stand to make billions for the drug companies and has no language holding the down the costs of prescription drugs for senior citizens. The cost of prescription drugs is already so high that retirees cannot afford to buy much needed medication. Many senior citizens will suffer needlessly and even die while the drug companies line their pockets.

I recently got a newsletter from NORD, National Organization for Rare Diseases (Disorders), which stated that for years drug companies have withheld proven medication that could provide adequate treatment and relief for people suffering from rare diseases and disorders because there is not a large enough market so the drug companies can't make enough money off the production of the drugs. That is not only criminal it is outright immoral! People are suffering needlessly. Believe me, I know. I have two rare disorders. Mine are not life threatening ( as far as they know at this time ) but they do cut down on my quality of life a great deal. Why should I, and millions of Americans like me, suffer needlessly because we are unfortunate enough to have a RARE disease that can't make enough money for the drug companies? It makes my blood boil

Please let your voices be heard. It is made easy for us at Common Cause. It only takes a minute or two of your time.

Common Cause CauseNET Alert

June 18, 2003

Big Drug Companies Get Big
Benefits with New Medicare
Prescription Drug Proposals

We want you to write Congress this Week to Ask Why the Drug Companies Stand to Benefit more than Retirees!
http://causenet.commoncause.org/afr/dbq/officials/

Years of massive campaign contributions and a veritable army of public relations specialists and lobbyists have drowned out the voices and interests of our nation's seniors.

The Senate and the House recently unveiled proposals to add prescription drug coverage through Medicare. Unfortunately, these fall far short of providing the type of benefit seniors have been requesting for years and will do little to address the increasing number of retirees who are uninsured or grossly underinsured for their prescription drug costs.
http://www.commoncause.org/action/rx.cfm?artid=16

In fact, current proposals will secure a huge financial windfall for the pharmaceutical industry. The proposals carry a $400 billion dollar price tag over a ten-year period and contain no language holding downs costs of prescription drugs.

PhRMA's hands are all over these new proposals!

The pharmaceutical industry, most often represented by the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry trade association, is one of the most influential lobbies in Washington. For years PhRMA has engaged in a full court press complete with lavish campaign contributions, a revolving door of drug industry executives embedded in key government positions, the hiring of former Members of Congress as lobbyists, and extensive public relations campaigns.

Read Our Prescription For Power Report!
http://www.commoncause.org/action/phrma_study.pdf

Common Cause is weighing in on the debate on the Medicare prescription drug proposal because there are few better examples of the undue influence of major corporations over our democratic system than the lack of affordable prescription drug coverage. In the coming weeks we will release new research on the pharmaceutical industry and help members take action to make their voices heard.

Take Action Now!
This legislation is moving through Congress very quickly. It is important to act now!

--> Write your member of Congress Today!
http://causenet.commoncause.org/afr/dbq/officials/

--> Forward this alert to a friend.
http://causenet.commoncause.org/afr/tellafriend/compose/

--> Visit our website for more information.
http://www.commoncause.org/action/rx.cfm

--> Watch Common Cause in action - Common Cause President Chellie Pingree will be featured in the FRONTLINE film "The Other Drug War," about the high cost of prescription drugs this Thursday, June 19, at 9 p.m. on PBS.

Love, Connie