Lingle drug idea may be illegal, Hirono says

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Republican gubernatorial nominee Linda Lingle's proposal to have medical insurers purchase prescription drugs on behalf of the uninsured may be illegal under federal law, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono said yesterday.

Lingle outlined proposals to reduce prescription drug costs at an AARP forum Tuesday, including approaching HMSA and Kaiser to buy drugs for those with no drug coverage. Kaiser representative Chris Pablo yesterday said federal law prohibits that.

Lingle noted that idea was one of three proposals, which included hiring a national company that negotiates lower drug prices and allowing major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Costco to negotiate lower drug costs.

"So if that's not an option I'll have two other options," she said. Lingle stressed that the two prescription drug laws passed this session, which Hirono and others are touting, would not go into effect immediately. "These are feel-good bills," she said.

The Hawai'i Rx law, modeled after a Maine law, would create a purchasing pool to negotiate discounts on prescription drugs for more than 220,000 Hawai'i residents who have no prescription-drug coverage. The program would begin in January 2005. But another prescription-drug program to help residents with incomes below triple the national poverty level could begin early next year.

The Maine program is on hold while the pharmaceutical industry is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hirono said the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision by early next year and that the prescription drug law already calls for hiring a negotiator.

"Not only can these bills reduce the costs of prescription drugs, but they will be implemented very soon," Hirono said.