AARP wants changes to Medicare Rx plan

The AARP, the US association for retired citizens, will ask Congress to makes changes to the new Medicare prescription drug benefit plan, according to its policy director, John Rother, who told the Washington Post that the group wants assets such as a house excluded when the determination is made as to whether a senior qualifies for special low-income subsidies. Additionally, the AARP wants to reopen the discussion on whether Medicare should negotiate directly with drugmakers over prices, rather than have companies negotiate prices with the insurance plans that sell the drug benefit to patients.

AARP, which had some influence on the creation of the current program, did endorse the legislation that passed through Congress, but also noted that it might want to "build on it in the future."

The comments to the Post came as AARP chief executive Bill Novelli said, in a discussion of the group's 2006 legislative agenda, that the 2003 Medicare law should be revised to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices with drug companies.