Families USA Annual Meeting of Health Consumer Advocates in Washington, DC

Hallowell, Maine, January 25, 2011—Prescription Policy Choices Executive Director Ann Woloson will present information about value-based prescription drug purchasing at a workshop during Health Action 2011, the Families USA annual meeting for consumer health advocates in Washington, DC, on Thursday, January 27, 2011.

“As prescription drug costs continue to escalate,” said Woloson, “Consumers, health care providers, and policy makers want information about which prescription drugs work best, are safest and more often than not, are least expensive.”

As part of the workshop, Protecting Medicaid during the Budget Crisis, Woloson will provide advocates with information about how to promote the use of evidenced-based information in policy making decisions about prescription drug coverage in the effort to reduce costs and preserve access to affordable quality health care services. She will also present on consumer friendly resources to help patients better understand how to get the best value for their healthcare dollar. Among the resources is Consumer Reports Health Best Buy Drugs™, which provides easy to understand advice and evidenced-based information on prescription drugs used to treat more than 20 common medical conditions, including allergies, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, to name a few.

“Even though states are facing vast revenue shortfalls, there are creative alternatives to budget cuts,” added Woloson. “Policy options that improve health care quality at a reduced cost and help preserve access to health care services under state health programs should be explored and prioritized.”