Arkansas views three seniors' Rx drug plans

The US state of Arkansas' legislature is considering three bills tolower prescription drug prices for seniors. One would allow seniors ineligible for Medicaid or without private drug cover to pay $25 to join a scheme overseen by the state Department of Human Services, and for which a federal waiver would be needed.

Under the plan, which its sponsor, Representative Jay Bradford, said should save seniors 25% of drug costs on average, drugmakers taking part in Medicaid would give the state a rebate for prescription drugs used by seniors on Medicaid. They would then pay a discounted price, arrived at by deducting the estimated rebate plus 10.5% from the average wholesale price. The pharmacist would still receive a dispensing fee.

The second bill seeks a study of prescription drug programs in other states, while the third would create a plan to help seniors find free or low-cost prescription drugs from manufacturers, reports the Associated Press.