Editorial: Not letting politics get in the way

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 | 8:41 a.m.

An impasse between Congress and the president, much of it owed to partisanship, for years has blocked the creation of a prescription drug benefit for seniors. In Nevada, partisan differences also have occurred on this divisive issue, but the end results have been much different here. Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, and Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn announced this week that they have reached a compromise to significantly improve upon a drug benefits program created in 1999.

The current prescription program for seniors is run by a private insurer selected by the Guinn administration. Critics correctly have pointed out, however, that not only is the current plan too limited in how much it covers, but that it also is confusing. Buckley had argued that instead the state should run this program, which in our view is the best option. But in a compromise she agreed with Guinn to let the private insurer run the program for now. If certain goals aren't reached in meeting the needs of seniors by Dec. 31, 2002, though, then the program could be run by the state. The governor expects to have 3,500 enrolled in the program by the end of 2002, which would be a sizable increase over the current enrollment of less than 300 seniors.

Most importantly, the benefits have been boosted. Currently, only seniors who earn less than $12,700 don't have to pay a premium, but this premium exemption threshold will be raised to $21,000. Regarding the cost of drugs, seniors currently have a $10 co-pay for a generic drug, and for specific brands the co-pay is $35 or 50 percent, whichever is more. Under the new plan, seniors still would have a $10 co-pay for a generic drug, but they would have a lower co-pay of $25 for preferred brands. The maximum benefit would be $5,000 a year.

Nevada is trying to cope with this important issue, but the state doesn't have enough money to adequately cover the rising costs of prescription drugs. Congress has to get beyond the partisan wrangling and devise a comprehensive plan that provides seniors the assurance that they don't have to worry about whether to go without food or costly drugs if they're ill. Our nation is far too prosperous to require seniors to face such unthinkable decisions.