NY Seniors To Feel Budget "Sting" at Pharmacy Counter
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December 18, 2008
New York, NY — New York seniors soon will feel the sting of Gov. David Paterson's proposed budget cuts--at the pharmacy counter. Paterson is proposing elimination of prescription drug wrap-around coverage under the state's Elderly Pharmaceutical Prescription Drug Program (EPIC).
Bill Ferris of AARP New York says the budget reductions would mean many seniors who make less than $50,000 a year and have been relying on New York's EPIC plan won't be able to afford prescription drugs. It's clear seniors will be left out, he says, when you look at the size of the savings the governor projects.
"It's close to $50 million the first year and close to $72 million the second year. When you have that kind of money involved, people are not going to get their drugs."
Paterson maintains he has little choice but to make the cuts. With the financial services industry in an unprecedented crisis, he says the state must fundamentally reevaluate what it can afford. More than 320,000 New Yorkers currently are enrolled in the state's EPIC plan.
Valerie Bogart, director of legal resources at Selfhelp Community Services, advocates for seniors when Medicare Part D rejects their claims. In her opinion, Paterson's budget will leave New Yorkers little recourse when their Part D plan doesn't cover a drug.
"It's also very important to cover the right drugs that someone's doctor is prescribing for a particular reason. New York is really cutting back and saying, 'We don't really care anymore.'"
Bogart says Paterson's cuts hit New York's poorest seniors the hardest because there is no way they can cover prescription drug expenses out-of-pocket.