HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 11

(By Delegates Caputo, Givens, Hubbard,, Leach, Warner, Capito, Ennis, Compton, Hatfield, Hutchins, Manchin, Modesitt, Cann, Dempsey, Spencer, Boggs, L. White, C. White, Angotti, L. Smith, Stemple, Willison, Kuhn, Varner, Paxton, Amores, Proudfoot, Coleman, Butcher, Ferrell, H. White, Sparks, Rowe, Ashley, Marshall, Frederick, Linch, Flanigan, Hunt, Mattaliano, Davis, Prunty, Evans, Stalnaker, Williams, J. Smith, Houston, Fleischauer, Pethtel, McGraw, Mahan, Yeager, Tucker and Staton)




Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to make a study of senior citizen drug costs and methods to reduce

these costs.
Whereas, Many senior citizens of this state are under an overwhelming financial burden due to the cost of prescription drugs and these citizens do not have insurance coverage or sufficient insurance coverage to reduce this cost; and
Whereas, There is a need for a mechanism or program to provide relief to those senior citizens of West Virginia who cannot afford the soaring costs of prescription medicines, either in the form of a reduction or rebate program or in the form of dispensing sums as subsidies for prescription drugs provided to persons over the age of sixty-five; and
Whereas, The Division of Health and Human Resources is the state agency best qualified to develop and administer the program to aid the senior citizens over the age of sixty-five who do not qualify for public assistance by virtue of being above the federal poverty level but who do not otherwise have adequate income to afford the cost of the particular prescription drugs for which they are in need; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to review, examine and study the problem of drug costs to senior citizens and methods to reduce these costs and the need to provide a program to reduce the costs of drugs to senior citizens, including how the Division of Health and Human Resources can best be utilized in such a program; and to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding the same; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, two thousand one, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.