Guinn rallies GOP to back RX plan

Tuesday, April 3, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn sent word to Republicans in the Assembly Monday that he continues to support his lagging senior citizens prescription program, setting up a possible showdown with a rival Democratic measure.

Although an estimated 10,000 to 11,000 senior citizens are eligible for Guinn's existing Senior RX prescription drug plan, fewer than 300 people have enrolled since it started in December. Guinn had proposed a Senate bill to eliminate the premium for seniors with incomes below $13,700, hoping to improve those numbers.

The current premium starts at $74 a month for those with the lowest incomes, with a $40 subsidy.

The Democratic alternative, Assembly Bill 545, eliminates premiums for all seniors and reduces the co-pay for each prescription.

Guinn's plan is run by insurance companies and is financed by $5 million from the tobacco settlement. The Democratic proposal, authored by Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, takes the same money and shifts the operation away from the private companies to the state.

AB545 was up for a final vote in the House Monday, but delayed so that some questions could be answered, Buckley said.

Guinn's plan, Senate Bill 239, has passed the Senate and moved to the Assembly.

The governor reminded Republicans Monday he wants their backing on his bill, which passed the Senate March 15 and is before the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee.

Buckley said the "problem is we will spend $1 million on Senior RX when it's not working.

"Senior Options (the Democratic plan) is a better option," Buckley said.