Seniors

Pat Leahy continues to work to ensure that today's seniors have expanded access to health care and prescription drugs, better protection from criminals, and remain connected as vital parts of the community.

Prescription Drug Affordability

• EXPOSING UNREASONABLE DEALS -- Pat Leahy's Drug Competition Act exposed the secret deals between branded and generic pharmaceutical companies that keep generic drugs off the market.
• HOLDING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE -- Pat Leahy called for drug companies to reveal their gifts to physicians in an effort to reveal what may be a significant factor in the high cost of prescription drugs.
• FIGHTING UNDUE PATENT EXTENSIONS -- Pat Leahy has led the fight to prevent brand drug companies from unnecessarily extending the lucrative patents of some of their top selling products, especially Schering Plough's popular allergy medication Claritin.
• SUPPORTING REIMPORTATION -- Pat Leahy has supported efforts that allow Vermonters to import low-cost safe drugs from Canada. When GlaxoSmithKline announced it would not sell drugs to Canadian pharmacies that in turn sell to Americans, Pat Leahy prevented drug companies such as Glaxo from taking federal tax deductions for research and development.
• PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS – Pat Leahy has fought for a voluntary prescription drug benefit as part of the Medicare program for all beneficiaries and against the Administration's incomplete plan that shortchanges seniors and showers benefits on big drug companies.

The Seniors Safety Act

PROTECTING FROM FRAUD – Continuing his efforts to protect seniors from fraud, Pat Leahy introduced the Seniors Safety Act to increase the sentences of offenders who prey on elderly victims and to prevent and punish telemarketing fraud, pension fraud, nursing home abuse and health care fraud.

Increased Internet Access

IMPROVED ACCESS – Working with the directors of senior centers throughout Vermont, in 2000 Pat Leahy explored the access to and use of computers and the Internet at these centers and then worked to get better access to technology for seniors.

Social Security

• PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY – Pat Leahy has strongly supported the protection of Social Security for all seniors, and has opposed reckless fiscal policies that, if not corrected, could harm the Social Security system's solvency.
• HOLDING GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE – Pat Leahy has called for the government not to deplete the surplus that we have promised to our country's seniors.