Missouri State Representative Jo Ann Emerson was in Kennett on Monday, July 28 to speak with the Business and Professional Women’s club about various issues concerning not only women, but all voters in the United States.
Emerson, who represents Missouri’s Eighth Congressional District, felt the most important, however, was Medicare reform and the reimportation of prescription drugs.
The Congresswoman started her speech with a small history of how she came to office after her husband’s, Bill Emerson, death. Then, after a brief break for dinner, Emerson restarted her speech and began talking about Medicare reform.
“The thing that probably most riled me up is the issue of Medicare,” said Emerson, “We have the ninth poorest congressional district in the entire United States of America and the largest number of Medicare recipients in Missouri in our district of senior citizens and the largest number who also qualify for Medicaid. So there is a disproportional push on our district.”
The main focus was dealing with reimbursement rates for Medicare. Emerson said that our state’s reimbursements from Medicare is 15 percent less than that of Memphis and other large areas. She also associated that fact with the reason why many rural hospitals are on the brink of closing and why hospitals can’t find a sufficient number of nurses.
“The one thing we don’t have is good reimbursement rates for Medicare,” said Emerson, “Reimbursement rates for Medicare are about 15 percent less than Memphis or St. Louis. So not only does it make access to affordable health care more difficult, but it also makes it harder to attract physicians, nurses, and other health workers.”
Emerson said that citizens could also get price discounts from the importation of US manufactured, FDA approved medications.
She handed out a sheet with 16 brand name prescription drugs and gave the comparison, in dollars, to how much they cost in the United States to European countries and Canada. In that chart, numbers suggested almost a $50 savings on each medication listed. Some of the medications listed were Augmentin, Claritin, Paxil, Prilosec, and Zocor. The largest savings came in the medications known as Glucophage and Zocor which buyers saved over a $100 and $86 respectively.
The Prescription Drug Reimportation bill was said to help not only senior citizens of the area, but also everyone else who is dependent upon medications. However, Emerson said that the bill had very stiff competition with the pharmaceutical companies’ 623 lobbyists.
In a September 2000 message to the United States House of Representatives, Bernard Sanders (Ind, Vt.), said that since the reimportation bill was introduced, the pharmaceutical industry spent more than $9 million in campaign contributions, and countless more on lobbying and advertising, much targeted against Sanders’ bill. At the same time, the industry charges Americans the highest prices for prescription drugs in the world, while reaping record breaking profits. Last year, in 1999, alone, the industry made more than $27 billion in profits — the most of any industry in the country.
And Emerson said that today is no different. The Congresswoman said that pharmaceutical companies wanted to beat back the bill in the House, but she was happy to say that they did not succeed.
Emerson did say, in defense, that she thought the present Medicare system worked “pretty good,” but could use some adjustments. But she also added that a person should not have to choose between paying their rent, buying food, or paying for medications.
The Congresswomen was questioned by a member of the crowd as to what people could do to help the Prescription Drug Reimportation bill along through Congress and she replied, “By contacting your state senators.”
“Here’s what you all can do,” said Emerson, “You need to contact our two United States Senators, Kit Bond and Jim Talent and tell them that they need to allow the reimportation of US manufactured, FDA approved drugs back into the United States as part of the Medicare prescription drug bill.”
Other points of the speech touched on Emerson’s appointment to an appropriation committee, which deals with the appropriation of funds. She talked about the various advantages and disadvantages of being a female on that committee, joking that “everybody is your friend.”
“There are probably three committees everyone wants to be on in Washington, but the one committee that makes more difference than any I think is appropriation,” said Emerson who then laughed when she said, “There are many advantages to being a female on the appropriation committee, now the downside to being on the appropriation committee is that everybody thinks they’re your friend. They talk to you and they always want something.”
Emerson then talked about how people outside of her district, who she didn’t necessarily have responsibility for, would even come to her asking “favors.”
“Folks up in St. Louis wanted a new overpass to get off of I-170 onto LaDue Road,” said Emerson, “And I first said why are you coming to me, I don’t represent you, but because I’m on the transportation subcommittee that has the money to do the project they come to me.”
The Congresswoman said she was pleased to talk to members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club and said that it was “fun” for her to get to talk with real, everyday people in the state and that she was dedicated to preserving the rural way of life. And this meant to also keep Missouri’s kids in Missouri.
“This is fun for me to come and talk to you all and listen to what’s on your minds because you are real working people and do real things,” said Emerson, “Since I’ve been in Congress, I’ve really been dedicated to preserving our rural way of life and help our rural communities grow and develop so our kids don’t have to go to St. Louis, Memphis, or Jonesboro. And Kennett has done a great job with the vision for things to bring in more businesses.”
The final big issue that Emerson talked about was her disapproval with the State’s basic formula for distribution of school money. She felt that rural areas, first of all, did not get a fair share of school funding, and that, second, she thought the formula was “backwards.”
“Our schools don’t get their fair share from the state,” said Emerson, “And I don’t like the foundation formula because it penalizes the small communities who can’t raise their taxes in order to qualify. That seems kind of backwards to me, it seems like schools who can’t afford to do that are the ones that should get the most money.”
A great compliment came from one crowd member who started by saying she was a “Democrat,” but she came specifically to hear Emerson speak. The crowd member added that she had dealt with Emerson’s district office in the past and that everyone treated her fairly despite her political affiliation. Emerson thanked the woman and restated her bipartisan beliefs.
“You forgot, I’m married to a Democrat,” Emerson laughed, “We have a bipartisan life, and sometimes he drives me crazy. But seriously, everybody should be the same. Even though somebody doesn’t vote for me doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t help them.”
To write a government officials regarding the Prescription Drug Reimportation bill, or any other action, write to The Honorable Christopher S. Bond, Attn. Tom Schulte, 339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701 or directly at 274 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 or The Honorable James Talent, Attn. Jeff Glenn, 339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701 or directly at 493 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510.
