By FAISAL KUTTY – One third of them — roughly 15 million — have no insurance to cover prescriptions. According to “60 Minutes,” it’s so bad that American seniors are increasingly heading north or going south to Mexico to save as much as 300 percent on medications.

Now I know why my friends working in the United States promise to return to Canada when they retire. Earn the big U.S. bucks now and save on medicines later. Great financial planning indeed!

It strikes me as a bit odd that Americans continue to tolerate their parents and grandparents, who have given their best years to the country, taking a bus across the border to ease their pain. According to the CBS program, the National Council of Senior Citizens has organized a number of trips. Many of these people would otherwise spend more than half their incomes on medication at home. One lady featured had a monthly bill of $ 1,300 and an income of $ 1,200. A retired professor on the bus quite accurately observed, “We are refugees from the American health-care system.”

Eleven years ago, Congress passed a law banning the reimport of U.S. drugs sold overseas at a fraction of the price. Like a drug dealer, the Canadian pharmacist with his face blacked out serves the Americans, even though a local doctor has not countersigned the prescriptions as required. He sympathizes and takes a chance.

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the elderly (ages 65 and older) are expected to make up 25 percent of the population by 2030. Currently, one of every six seniors is poor or near poor and 52.5 percent suffer at least one disability. Yet almost 1 million were disqualified from health maintenance organizations in the past year because they were unprofitable. Even private health plans with limited drug benefits cost almost $ 4,000 per year — clearly out of reach to the average senior earning $ 16,000 annually.

Why has Congress abandoned them during their most vulnerable time? Quite simply, “money talks.” According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) and its members contribute more to politicians than any other industry. Their TV ads are part of a $ 30 million campaign to confuse Americans.

According to Steve Protulis, executive director of the National Council of Senior Citizens, the TV ads are sponsored by the industry-funded Citizens for Better Medicare. In fact, this group is headed by the former marketing director of PhRMA and counts the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (a leading opponent of Medicare in 1965) as corporate members. Talk about a con job.

PhRMA also claims that research would be hurt if the industry could not charge “market prices” to seniors. Nonsense. Most of the core research was funded by taxpayers and carried out by the National Institutes of Health. Moreover, why should one of the most profitable industries continue to get away with gouging those who can least afford it?

Thanks to the lobbying culture of American politics, people are concerned only with issues that affect them directly. The plight of these seniors is a shame on all Americans. Clearly, the job of remedying it cannot be left to senior citizen groups alone. Every American has an interest in ensuring that the elderly are cared for. If respect, fairness and compassion are not motivation enough, there are selfish reasons. One day everyone blessed with long life will join the ranks of the elderly.

FAISAL KUTTY lives in Toronto.

Note: First Published: Buffalo News (New York) November 24, 1999, Wednesday, CITY EDITION

Tags: Drugs

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