From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  

Prescription drug plan estimates

September 6, 2001
By: Sofia Chaava
State Capital Bureau

This is Sofia Chaava in Jefferson City where the Senate Health Committee has been told that the administration's prescription drug program for the elderly could be twice the cost of administration estimates.

The estimate came from Cathy Carrol -- a pharmacy faculty member at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

Her study found the costs could run as high as 150-million dollars per year:

Actuality:carrol1
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents:

In contrast to Carroll, the state's lieutenant governor Joe Maxwell told the committee he stood by his task force estimate that the proposal would cost just 80 million dollars.

I'm Sophia Chaava for Missouri Capital Caucus.

This is Sofia Chaava for Missouri Capital Caucus.

Missouri's Leutenant Govenror Joe Maxwell defended his Task Force Prescription Drug plan to the Senate Health Committee.

Maxwell chaired the task force appointed by the governor. He told the committee their recommendation would not break the state's budget:

Actuality:MAXWELL1
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: The lieutenant governor says he thinks his task force estimates of the costs for their prescription drug program are correct.

Maxwell testified just after a faculty member at the University of Missouri in Kansas City told the committee the costs could run twice has high as Maxell's estimates.

Sofia Chaava in Jefferson City.

This is Sofia Chaava in Jefferson City.

The chairman of the Senate Health Committee Senator Singleton invited pharmacy faculty member from the University of Missouri in Kansas City, to present her individual research of the Prescription drug plan at the Committee meeting.

Dr. Carrol' research estimated that the plan could cost the State budget 152 million Dollars per year -that is, twice as much, as proposed by the Prescription Drug plan task force.

Chairman of the task force, Leutenant Governor Maxwell completely disagrees with these numbers and stands by the task force estimates.

Actuality:maxwell2
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Maxwell - estimates of the task force are reliable. Even though some figures might be too high, the final cost is still much lower than those of Dr. Carrol's research

Maxwell says that the proposal would cost just 80 million dollars.

I am Sofia Chaava for Missouri Capital Caucus.