Lawmakers expand state Rx program.

Byline: David Steves The Register-Guard

SALEM - The Legislature on Thursday approved a bill allowing any Oregonian to get a state drug-purchasing card that originally was available only to low-income seniors.

By agreeing to House-passed changes, the Senate sent Senate Bill 362 to Gov. Ted Kulongoski for his signature.

The bill allows businesses, labor unions and individuals who are considered "underinsured" to seek discounted prescription drugs through state bulk purchasing.

The measure's chief sponsor, Sen. Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, defined underinsured Oregonians as those with medical coverage that carries high premiums, or includes limited lists, or "formularies," of prescriptions covered by their insurance plans.

Morrisette said that once the bill is signed into law, any individual can apply for a prescription drug card from the state, regardless of whether he already is insured for prescription drugs.

As he envisions the program working, those with a card would give it to their pharmacist to receive the discounted price that the state was able to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers.

For customers with insurance that covers their medicines, they would hand their insurance card, along with the state card, to the pharmacist.

Those who are, in Morrisette's words, "underinsured" would pay the lower price available through the state program; those with a better insurance plan would pay that coverage's price.

"It does open the program significantly - to every person in the state of Oregon who is underinsured," Morrisette said.

The Springfield Democrat has for years advanced the idea of of cutting consumers' medication costs by pooling their purchases through the state - which can use its economy of scale to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for deeper discounts than individuals or small employers could land on their own.

In 2003, Morrisette pushed to let low-income seniors purchase drugs through the state's bulk purchasing program, then open only to state agencies.

Last session, Morrisette and other lawmakers tried to expand the program to low-income Oregonians without drug coverage of all ages. But the pharmaceutical lobby blocked that bill in the Republican-controlled House.

The move prompted Morrisette and several consumer and labor lobby groups to take the plan to the voters last November.

By a 4-to-1 ratio, they approved Measure 44, which expanded eligibility to all Oregonians without drug coverage, regardless of age or income level.

Morrisette said he was convinced that the ballot-box demonstration of the drug pool's popularity cleared the way for the easy passage of SB 362 this session.

"There are times when the initiative is necessary to get an idea through when you have a good idea that the Legislature, for whatever reason, won't pass," he said.

Enrollment in the prescription drug program has reached 13,245, up from about 4,000 in November.

Administrators of the state plan have reported consumer savings ranging from 10 percent to 60 percent.

MORE INFO

Any Medicare recipient or uninsured Oregonian may already join the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. Options for more information:

Phone: [phone]

The Web: www.OPDP.org

Check out David Steves' Capitol Notebook blog at www.registerguard.com/capnote. He can be reached at [phone] or dsteves@ guardnet.com.