EXTREMELY URGENT - HOUSE MEDICARE BILL - ACTION NEEDED

Your continued opposition to this legislation is vital!

EXTREMELY URGENT – HOUSE MEDICARE BILL – ACTION NEEDED
The following alert contains urgent information from NACDS (National Association of Chain Drug Stores) and NCPA (National Community Pharmacy Association) regarding legislation pending before congress that will have a devastating impact on the pharmacy profession. Please contact your congressional representative using the links or phone information provided in the full article.

This is one of the most challenging issues we have faced in a long time, and we need your individual call NOW. Your continued opposition to this legislation is vital! Thanks for your support!
Ernie Boyd, Executive Director, Ohio Pharmacists Association

From NACDS: Breaking News... Your Calls Are Working!!!

Our message is clearly resonating... but this makes continued contact from
you all the more important right now!

The Pharmacy Benefits All Coalition has learned that the House GOP leadership is now very concerned that they may not have the votes to pass H.R. 4954, The Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act of 2002!
As a result, we are hearing that a vote on this bill could be delayed until after the July 4th recess. Some House leaders reportedly believe that they can secure the votes needed for passage if they have more time... others are concerned that putting the vote off will give local pharmacists and pharmacies time at home to convince wavering Members to vote against the bill.
Your calls and faxes are having a huge impact... and many Members of
Congress are very concerned. Members have been led to believe that pharmacy will accept this legislation without a fight... indeed, as late as yesterday we learned that some leadership staff are still spreading this misinformation. However, despite what staff have been telling Members, your personal contacts are convincing them otherwise.

This legislation will turn over virtually all control of a Medicare prescription drug benefit and care for beneficiaries to PBMs which will have incredible power to put pharmacies out of business through a variety of new tools, including authorization of a Medicare-Endorsed Rx Discount Card.
Demand that your Member of Congress stand up for pharmacy to stop this legislation now... the momentum is clearly with us!

Act Now!

Whether or not you have already contacted your Member of Congress, it is
important that you do so again today! Call 1-800-211-0916 to be connected
directly to your Member of Congress and let them know that a vote for the House GOP Medicare bill is a vote against pharmacy. YOu may also reach the Congressional House of Representatives at 202-224-3121.We need to send the strongest possible message that we will hold those who vote against pharmacy accountable. We must also commit to spreading this word to our vendors, customers, patients, students, families and friends. Feel free to use these talking points

http://www.nacds.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=2317
and contact us if you need bag stuffers or other supporting materials.

One final note, the Coalition has received reports of some Members of Congress asking Coalition pharmacies if they can use local stores for press events next week. Please make sure you tell them that if they are supporting the House GOP H.R. 4954, The Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act of 2002, that they are not welcome in your stores! Or better yet, invite them to your stores and make them listen to your stories of PBM “extortion” and backhanded practices... tell them what it will be like if there are no pharmacists in your community... and have some of your customers tell them as well.


From NCPA:
NCPA, NACDS, and seven other national associations last week registered their strong opposition to the bill, H.R. 4954, in letters to House Republican leaders. They said the bill “would impose economic hardships on pharmacy that would harm many neighborhood pharmacists who are on the front line of health care for millions of our citizens.” In addition to NCPA and NACDS, the letters were signed by the American Pharmaceutical Association, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Food Marketing Institute, National Council of State Pharmacy Association Executives, National Grocers Association, and National Retail Federation.
NCPA is asking pharmacists to contact their representatives and strongly urge them to vote against the House Republican Medicare bill, H.R. 4954. Don’t wait. Contact your Representative right now. Log onto
www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html
That takes you an alphabetical list of House members with direct links to their web pages, where you can write them immediately. For detailed objections to the legislation go to H.R. 4954 Action Center:
http://www.ncpanet.org/GOVAFFAIRS/HR4954/index.html