FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Communities of Color Unite Behind Prop. 79 & Say NO to Drug Companies' Big Money Campaign
Wednesday, October 18

State Lawmakers Join African American, Latino & Asian American Leaders To Support Enforceable Prescription Drug Discounts For Low & Moderate Income Californians

LOS ANGELES, CA – Organizations and lawmakers representing communities of color urged California voters today to approve Prop. 79, the enforceable prescription drug discount measure sponsored by consumer, senior, and health groups. The advocates emphasized that low and moderate income people of color stand to benefit greatly from Prop. 79 and won’t be misled by the drug companies’ $80 million campaign.

“For years, the big drug companies have used their financial muscle to block reform,” said Assembly Member Mark Ridley Thomas. “But the drug companies can’t buy our votes. We are united behind Prop. 79 because it will help low and moderate income families who are hurt by soaring drug prices.”

People of color have a higher incidence of a number of chronic diseases than whites. For example, Latinos are twice as likely to suffer from diabetes as non-Latino whites. African Americans under 50 have a higher mortality rate from heart disease and strokes than whites. Tuberculosis rates among Asian Americans are the highest in the country – 16 times more than the rate among whites.

"There’s a lot at stake for all Californians in the debate over Prop. 79, but especially for those of low and moderate incomes,” said Dr. Michael Rodriguez, Chair of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California.  “They suffer from higher rates of health problems and make up a larger percentage of those who lack health insurance. Too often, they end up doing without the medicine they need to stay healthy because they simply cannot afford it." 

California ’s Medi-Cal program provides prescription drug coverage to over 6.8 million low income Californians and people with disabilities. But there are another six million Californians who are uninsured, including many adults and seniors living below the poverty level who don’t have dependent children and therefore don’t qualify for Medi-Cal.

California has been very successful at using its massive purchasing power to buy medicine for those covered by Medi-Cal at discounts of 50 percent and more. Prop. 79 would allow

California to use this same leverage to negotiate and enforce discounts for an estimated 8 to 10 million low and moderate income Californians who don’t have health coverage or have insurance with inadequate prescription drug benefits.

“Far too many working families in California must pay full price for prescription drugs because they are uninsured or have bare bones health coverage,” said Dr. Geraldine Washington, President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP. “Prop. 79 would make a real difference for Californians struggling to make ends meet and help them get access to the medicine they need.”

Despite what the drug companies claim in their ads, Medi-Cal patients will continue to get access to the medication they need under Prop. 79 just as they do now. Medi-Cal rules currently ensure that patients have at least one effective drug available on the state’s preferred drug list for every ailment. If a doctor wishes to prescribe a different drug, he or she can seek authorization under Medi-Cal. According to a 2003 California HealthCare Foundation report, only one in ten prescriptions required authorization and those requests were granted almost 90 percent of the time.

The pharmaceutical industry has raised over $80 million to try to defeat Prop. 79 and is pushing Prop. 78, a discount program that is completely optional for drug companies. The voluntary program covers half as many Californians and could end at any time if not enough companies offer to participate.

“Californians deserve more than a promise from the drug companies to lower their prices,” said Assembly Member Judy Chu. “Prop. 79 does more than promise discounts – it will deliver them. We need enforceable discounts Californians can count on.”

Prop 79 is supported by AARP California, Consumers Union, the League of Women Voters of California and over 150 consumer, senior, health and community organizations, including Angeles City Association; Applied Research Center; Asian Law Alliance; Asian Law Caucus; Asian Pacific Environmental Network; Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum; Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus; Association of Black Social Workers, LA; Black American Political Association of CA; California Pan-Ethnic Health Network; Chicano Consortium; Chinese Progressive Association; Coalition to Defend Immigrant Rights; Compañeros Del Barrio; Concilio Latino; Corazon Del Pueblo; Dolores Huerta Foundation; Filipino American Service Group, Inc.; Filipinos for Affirmative Action; The Greenlining Institute; Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates; Korean Resource Center; Latino Coalition for a Healthy California; Latino Issues Forum; California State LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens); Mexican American Political Association; NAACP - Los Angeles; NAACP – Oakland; National Korean American Service and Education Consortium; NICOS Chinese Health Coalition; PESANTE; Sacramento Area Black Political Caucus; Samahang Pilipino Advancing Community; Empowerment (SPACE); Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN); and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

For more information on Proposition 79, visit www.voteyesonprop79.org