BUSINESSAARP insurer will pay for meds bought outside of U.S.Reimportation advocates give the effort rave reviews, but UnitedHealth and the seniors group say it was not a change in policy.By Mike Norbut, amednews staff. Nov. 4, 2002. UnitedHealth Group Inc. has written a letter to 97,000 people who receive health care benefits through AARP informing them they will be reimbursed for prescription medicines they purchase outside the United States. While United, one of the nation's largest health insurers, maintained the letter did not reflect a change in the coverage policy for AARP members, advocates of reduced pharmaceutical costs and a Medicare prescription drug benefit applauded the announcement. At a time when fixed-income Americans take bus trips to Canada or purchase their drugs through the mail to save money, it's logical that insurers and organizations would recognize their plight, advocates said. That the letter was mailed "is further evidence that something needs to change," said Gordon Smith, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Assn., which has many member physicians who assist patients in their efforts to obtain cheaper drugs in Canada. "This puts the pressure where it needs to be: on our government," Smith said. Prescription drug reimportation is an issue that frequently has been bandied about on Capitol Hill, many times in conjunction with discussions about creating a prescription drug benefit for Medicare. While some bills allowing seniors or people with chronic conditions to reimport American-made pharmaceuticals from Canada at a cheaper price have made it through Congress, none of the measures has been signed into law. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the reimportation of any drugs available in the United States, though there seems to be a gray area when it's for personal use, and policing individual mail orders is virtually impossible.
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Copyright 2002 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment. Meeting coverage - Slideshow Feature articlesHealth reform review The Massachusetts experience Litigation stress Being sued is personal as well as professional Comprehensive coverage
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