Our friend Michael Carducci, Gloria Smith Director of the Alzheimers Association in Florida and their colleagues ask you to assist in the passage of the following legislation. We certainly offer our support and ask each recipient to do likewise. Thank you. 

                                                               *** SEE BELOW ***
 The House bill, H1207, has passed on a vote of 117 - 0 and is in messages between both chambers waiting for action on Sb 1608 which is in the following subcommittee. 
                                  *** CHAIR & MEMBERS of COMMITTEE BELOW *** 
 It is extremely important to contact Senator Lisa Carlton, as requested by Gloria Smith. In addition please contact the Chair of the subcommittee wherein the bill presently lays, i.e., Senator Ronald Silver and his colleagues to move this bill out of committee in a favorable manner. 

Please do so immediately to move this legislation onto the desk of Governor Jeb Bush for his signature. 

Your effort in this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your consideration. 
Sincerely, 
Bob
Public Relations - CCFJ, Inc., 
           ********************************* SEE BELOW ***********************************
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "michael carducci" <[email protected]>
To: CCFJ, Inc., 
Subject: Telephone and/or E-mail Contact Requested 

Bob

I asked your help on FAIR and it was widely distributed on your network and I received great support from it. I do not get involved in things I do not feel extremely important. This is a second  request  to you and I hope you are willing to show  this on your state wide network. 

I am copying three local elected officials who are terrific and I hope always to call friends. If they believe, they can make things happen. 

I hope you and Cyber Citizens For Justice support these three elected officials in their efforts to support this disease and it horrendous effect on families.

Thanks Bob and thanks to my carbon copy friends.
Mike
Michael I. Carducci
CEO/President
Management Consultant Inc.
813-662-9694 (ph & fax)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Hubbard" <[email protected]>

Please help to get this done. And please send this on to others that will help to make a call. Thanks a lot.
Ann
----- Original Message -----
From: choward <[email protected]>
Subject: Fw: Phone Calls Needed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gloria Smith" <[email protected]>
Subject: Phone Calls Needed

HELP HELP HELP

The Alzheimer's Association worked out a compromise amendment with the Home Health Agencies to reduce the cost the training on their business. It allows for the 4 hour training to be a part of their existing required training.

It only applies to new employees starting July 1, 2002.

Last Tuesday the House of Representatives passed the Florida Alzheimer's Training Act (HB 1207) with this amendment. The passage was unanimous - 117-0.

BUT.........Senator Carlton (chair of Appropriations) is STILL holding the bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

I need volunteers from around the state to call her district office, (immediately) to ask her to withdraw Senate Bill 1608 by Senator Saunders  - Florida Alzheimer's Training act from the Senate Appropriations Committee. 941-486-2032

Last year the legislature passed dementia training for nursing home employees. This year we want to expand it to home care. 7 in 10 people with dementia are cared for at home. They deserve to be cared for by employees who have gone through dementia training. We have worked out all of the differences in the bill with all parties. The cost will be minimal. 

We need for Senator Carlton to withdraw SB 1608 from Appropriations Committee.

Note: We have only one more week left. We have another bill that the Alzheimer's bill will be tacked on to....but first, we have to get this bill withdrawn from Appropriations.

Gloria J.T. Smith
(727) 578-2558 Ext. 123

PS: ...please call as soon as you can....

I Called and it only took a minute...very easy.....so there would only be a minimal charge for this call.  Well worth it in the long run.
Charlotte Howard 
                                 *** CHAIR & MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE ***
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services 
Location:
Room 201 Capitol 
Mailing Address:
404 South Monroe Street 
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
850 • 487 • 5140
SunCom 277 • 5140

Chairman: Ronald A. Silver
                   Richard Mitchell
                   Durell Peaden, Jr. 
                   Debby P. Sanderson 
                   Burt L. Saunders 

Please review the response to our earlier dispatch related to the subject above which included our inquiry to the United Health Alliance in Vermont about purchasing prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.

We'll tell you more about that project in a future dispatch!

For now, please take time to read the message from the Senator Bob Graham and visit the URL his office has provided to respond to the medication survey.

* SEE BELOW *

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your support.

The best to you and yours,
Bob,
Public Relations - CCFJ, Inc.,

--------------------------- * SEE BELOW * -------------
Subject: Re: Physician's Participation or Lack Thereof?

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the current debate on Medicare prescription medication coverage.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of prescription medications has risen 65 percent over the last decade. This is three times as fast as all other health care costs. These cost increases have and will continue to have an impact on the nearly 80 percent of all retired persons who take at least one prescription drug every day.

For 36 years, the Medicare program has been providing American seniors with access to quality, affordable health care. However, currently it does not offer assistance with the expense of outpatient prescription medications.
This is, in part, due to the fact that when Medicare was created in 1965, health care services were primarily delivered in an inpatient setting. Today, through years of research and technological developments, we are able to safely and successfully combat many illnesses with medications rather than hospital visits.
Prescription medications are a critical component of our health care delivery system, and as such, I believe that they must be appropriately covered under Medicare.

To that end, on June 20, 2000, I introduced the Medicare Outpatient Drug (MOD) Act (S. 2758). The MOD Act was designed to be a fiscally responsible proposal which would provide a substantial measure of relief to seniors. All Medicare beneficiaries would be eligible, however, participation would be voluntary.  Beneficiaries who elect to receive prescription coverage would be responsible for a monthly premium of less than $40 per month, and a small annual deductible of approximately $250.
Once the deductible has been met, Medicare would pay 50 percent of prescription medication costs up to $3,500. When beneficiary costs are between $3,501 and $4,000, the benefit would pay for 75 percent of the purchase prices of all prescriptions. Any drug purchases beyond the
beneficiary out-of-pocket cap of $4,000 would be fully paid for by Medicare. For low-income beneficiaries, additional financial assistance would be provided.

However, when Congress adjourned on December 15, 2000, the MOD Act had not yet been passed. All measures which were not passed by both houses of Congress before December 15 cannot be enacted into law. Therefore, on January 22, 2001, the first day legislation could be introduced in the 107th Congress, I cosponsored similar legislation (S.10) along with 32 of my fellow Senators. The immediacy of the need seniors face demands action; we are prohibited from delay because the health of our nation is suffering under the weighty burden of high-priced prescription drugs.

I strongly believe that it is time for us to bring Medicare's services in line with current health care standards and procedures, as well as the needs of today's senior citizens.
This means that the Medicare program must be expanded to include prescription drug coverage.
President George W. Bush embraced a prescription drug proposal during his campaign which differs from S.10 on several fronts. One primary difference is, S.10 would expand the Medicare program to include prescription drug coverage, while President Bush's proposal to offer prescription drugs operates outside of the Medicare program.

During his campaign, President Bush suggested a two part approach:  the short-term Immediate Helping Hand program which would offer funding to states to have them create and administer prescription drug programs for low-income seniors only, and a long-term plan which would give subsidies to private insurance companies to encourage them to offer prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries.

I believe that providing prescription drugs to seniors and the disabled through the Medicare program is the better solution for several reasons. Medicare is a familiar program which is easily navigable by beneficiaries. Administering the prescription drug benefit through Medicare ensures that appropriate coverage will be available for all eligible persons. Relying on private insurers and states would introduce an element of uncertainty as to the scope and availability of the benefit offered. In short, by shifting responsibility for the administration of a prescription
drug benefit to private insurers and to states, we lose the ability to guarantee that it will meet the needs of beneficiaries now and in the future.
As a public servant from a state where almost 20 percent of the residents are age 65 or older, it is important for me to advocate for a drug benefit which meets the needs of our population. To better understand those needs, I have placed a prescription medication survey on my Internet site.
I am hopeful that seniors across Florida will use this anonymous poll as a way to keep in touch with me, sharing their thoughts and concerns about the issue of a Medicare prescription benefit.
There is a direct link to this survey on my website, which can be accessed at: http://graham.senate.gov

Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate continues to debate this issue. I appreciate you sharing your views with me, and hope that you will continue to contact my office on this and other issues of importance to you.

Thank you for contacting my office about issues of concern to you. If you would like more information or would like to share additional comments please do not respond to this e-mail.
Rather, please visit my website, http://graham.senate.gov/email.html, and from the website you can forward additional comments to my office.  Please do not respond to this e-mail.
                      Sincerely,
                      Bob Graham
                      United States Senator

Dear members and friends, 

As you know, the State of Florida enacted a law during the 2000 Legislative session requiring; a pharmacy which is a provider for Florida Medicaid must participate in discounting prescription drugs. 

The discount is provided, if : 

-you're eligible for Medicare 
-you're a resident of Florida 
-you pay the full cost of prescription drugs 
-you ask your pharmacist about the discount program 
-you show your Medicare card

You may want to request the discount, if :

- you have reached the prescription limit on your insurance plan, or 
- your insurance does not cover a certain drug; or
- you have a deductible to meet under your current insurance plan. 

Because the discount is based on; no greater than the average wholesale price, minus (9) nine percent, plus a $ 4.50 dispensing fee the discount might be insignificant and/or non-existant. 

Sadly, it isn't necessarily true that the pharmacy will indicate to consumers whether the discount was applied and how much was saved. Nevetheless, before you pay for the medication, ask! 

Other alternatives we've been researching, i.e., purchasing medication in Canada have been stymied, at this time, because of Florida Board of Pharmacy provisions in Chapter 465 Florida statutes. 

The provisions in s. 465.0156 require non-resident pharmacies to be registered in Florida before dispensing prescriptions drugs. 

* SEE BELOW * 

It can be said, current law, rightfully: 

-protects the financial interests of Florida pharmacies 
-insures out of state pharmacies are reliable sources of medication
-protects the rights of consumers, etc.. 

It can be said; 

Other states must have similar statutory mandates to prevent unregistered pharmacies in Canada and Mexico from dispensing medications cheaper than currently purchased in the United States of America. 

Otherwise, why has it been reported that Seniors and other Medicare patients are being bused into Canada and Mexico to purchase less expensive medications manufactured by America companies being sold in these countries? 

While we're seeking answers and a list of non-resident pharmacies registered in Florida the last paragraph of the cited section of Chapter 465 prevents us from promoting CanadaRX, at this time.

Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. 

The best to you and yours, 
Bob
Public Relations - CCFJ, Inc.