On July 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 2001, Seniors USA is sponsoring the One Million Email March in Washington DC. Join millions of Americans in emailing our Congressman, Senators and the White House in protesting the High Cost of Pharmaceutical Drugs. There may be a Medicare subsidy in place by then but there will still be millions of Americans of all ages forced to pay ever increasing prices for medication. There are an additional 43 million uninsured Americans with out health coverage forced to pay exorbitant prices for prescription drugs.
The Seniors USA Mission Statement and Mission Strategy written January 2000 are as fresh and focused today as they were when originally written a year ago.
It is the position of Seniors USA the continued use of drug patents is a monopoly that prevents the use of generic drugs that could dramatically decrease the high cost of pharmaceutical drugs. On July 2-6, 2001, as we celebrate Independence, join with Seniors USA as we declare our independence from the tyrannical pharmaceutical companies by requiring our elected representatives to endorse the rights of older Americans and all uninsured Americans, young and old, by stopping approval of legislation that benefits pharmaceutical companies at the expense of all Americans.
The rationale the drug companies use to convince Washington of the need for a drug patent is the fallacy that it takes upwards of 500 million dollars to bring a drug to market and the only way to re-coup this money is to obtain a monopoly for 20 years.
Numerous articles have been published dispelling this as the cause for high prescription drug prices, but this untruth continues to be perpetuated in the media and in Washington by the pharmaceutical companies using vast financial resources obtained from the high pricing of branded drugs.
Many Americans accept these untruths and are not aware pharmaceutical companies in the United States lead all US industries in profits.
The pharmaceutical drug companies are able to achieve record profits with direct assistance of the US Government through the National Institutes of Health that provides 46% of all research dollars spent in the United States. After using government funded research monies, the pharmaceutical companies then seek and receive drug patents for twenty-year periods.
Compounding the above-mentioned problem, are clever pharmaceutical marketing ploys that deceive the majority of seniors by convincing them to email Washington with the message, "Stay out of our medicine cabinets."
Thousands of misguided seniors emailed their representatives in Washington with requests to keep government out of Medicare providing for prescription drug coverage.
The pharmaceutical companies using Flo (Citizens for a Better Medicare) and their lobbyists are still successfully influencing the Congress and the White House on continued protection and issuance of new branded pharmaceutical patents and favorable tax programs for the pharmaceutical industry.
None of this is going to change until Americans become united and involved in an Advocacy Issue Campaign aimed at helping all Americans understand how we have become victims of the pharmaceutical companies.
The only way to counter all of the untruths perpetuated by the pharmaceutical companies is use the same marketing venues. This is why Seniors USA was formed one year ago and is quickly gaining national recognition.
Our goal this year is to share this message with all diverse groups in the United States and encourage their participation.
Our goal is to raise $10,000,000 to begin an Issue Advocacy Campaign utilizing commercial television to deliver our message.
This month we launch our campaign with press releases and emails to begin recruiting support from individuals, private and public companies, and other advocacy and seniors organizations to join with Seniors USA in emailing Washington DC on July 4th expressing our plight and our unity.
We invite all Americans to join in the One Million Email March by visiting the Seniors USA web site to learn more about the Million Email March and if possible, to make financial contributions. We are a free membership organization and seniors on fixed incomes have a hard enough time just existing.
The Seniors USA Mission Statement and Mission Strategy recognizes as seniors, our primary responsibility is to care for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren who are deprived of needed medications by the high cost of pharmaceutical drugs.
It isn't only persons like us; it includes all persons regardless of sex, age, national origin or ethnicity, or religious affiliation. From the youngest child to the oldest, millions of Americans face exorbitant costs of prescription drugs.
As seniors, we have a fiduciary responsibility to care for ourselves but we also need to be concerned with the uninsured across America who suffer needlessly at the expense of the pharmaceutical companies.
Our goal this year is to share this message with all individuals and diverse groups in the United States to encourage their participation.
Join the Million Email March by visiting Seniors USA www.senrs.com and staying involved with us as we approach July 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
