Vice President Al Gore Escalates Attacks on Pharmaceutical Industry, Promotes Medicare Drug Benefit

Strategic Insights -

In a speech to a forum of elderly people at Florida State University, Vice President Al Gore escalated his attacks against the pharmaceutical industry, criticizing the makers of two prescription drugs by name, Claritin and Lodine, and calling for greater competition. Gore also promoted his plan for a Medicare drug benefit, which would provide prescription drug coverage for the elderly. The plan would cover 13 million Medicare beneficiaries without drug coverage, and those with higher incomes would pay a premium on a sliding scale and would be reimbursed half the cost of their prescriptions up to $5,000 a year.

Key Takeaways:

  • Vice President Al Gore criticized the pharmaceutical industry, singling out two prescription drugs, Claritin and Lodine, for their high prices and unfair business practices.
  • Gore's plan for a Medicare drug benefit would provide prescription drug coverage for 13 million Medicare beneficiaries without drug coverage.
  • The plan would cover those with incomes of 135 percent of the poverty level or less, and those with higher incomes would pay a premium on a sliding scale and would be reimbursed half the cost of their prescriptions up to $5,000 a year.
  • Gore's plan is estimated to cost $253 billion over 10 years.
  • The Bush campaign has yet to propose a specific prescription drug plan, but has suggested building on a bipartisan Congressional commission proposal to spur competition between public and private plans for Medicare recipients.
  • The Democratic National Committee has released a television advertisement accusing the Bush campaign of "siding with the big drug companies."

Statistics:

  • 13 million Medicare beneficiaries have no drug coverage (Source: Gore campaign aides).
  • $12,000 is the income level for an individual, and $14,000 for a couple, to be eligible for free drug coverage under Gore's plan (Source: Gore campaign aides).
  • $5,000 per year is the maximum reimbursement for prescription costs under Gore's plan (Source: Gore campaign aides).
  • $253 billion is the estimated cost of Gore's plan over 10 years (Source: Gore campaign aides).
  • $1.3 trillion is the size of the federal surplus over 10 years that would be consumed by Mr. Bush's proposed income tax cut (Source: Gore campaign).

Sources:

  • "Vice President Al Gore today escalated his attacks against the pharmaceutical industry..."
  • (The New York Times, no date provided).
  • Source names, titles, and organizations are exactly as mentioned in the original text.