Medicare Part D cuts costs

Regarding “Tough Rx: possible ways to fix Medicare,” Personal Finance, June 24:

Blaming the Medicare prescription drug benefit for contributing to Medicare’s long-term funding shortfall is off base. Medicare Part D is actually helping to reduce future Medicare costs.

Expanding Medicare to include prescription drugs was an important step toward helping seniors delay, treat and prevent numerous chronic diseases. Diseases that, left unchecked, would result in costly hospitalizations, surgeries and other treatments -- not to mention preventable deaths.

The findings of many scientific studies support the positive relationship between the proper use of medicines and the reduction of healthcare costs. For example, a 2005 study by Medco researchers estimated that an increased adherence to medicines used to treat diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol resulted in $4 to $7 of savings for every additional dollar spent on medicines during the one-year study period.

Just a few years ago, barely half of America’s seniors had prescription drug coverage. Today more than 90% of them do. Rather than looking for a scapegoat for Medicare’s financial woes, we should focus on helping the remaining 10% join the prescription drug program to lower Medicare’s costs and, more important, help seniors access the medicines they need to live healthier, longer lives.

KEN JOHNSON

Senior vice president

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Washington