By Krystal Baker
krystal@newsroom.byu.edu
The rain did not damper the long campaign weekend for Sen. Orrin Hatch and Scott Howell.
Donning a red rain jacket Hatch greeted BYU students at a tailgate party south of the Cougar Stadium Saturday, as staffers handed out hand-dipped Oreo cookies, labeled 'Orrin-o's,' ingredients: honesty, integrity, dedicated and principled.
Also Saturday, Southern Utahns greeted Hatch in the rain as he rode in a covered wagon through Utah towns with Chris Cannon, Mike Leavitt and other elected Utah officials.
The campaign weekend kick-off was a joint address by Scott Howell and Hatch at the Utah Medical Association annual conference at the University Park Marriott, Salt Lake City.
The UMA luncheon was the first time Orrin Hatch and Howell met on the same stage. Addressing elected health care representatives and doctors from across the state, the opponents debated Health Care.
'The overriding health care problems have worsened under Sen. Hatch's watch,' Howell said.
Howell accused Hatch of being the very reason that prescription drugs such as Claritin, cost over $2 a pill when they can be manufactured for fifty cents. The extended patent on the drug, Howell said, resulted in 1.3 billion dollars in revenue for the company.
'Why do drug prices remain so high?' Howell asked. It is because of the 'millions of dollars Orrin has received from these special interest groups for speaking fees and contributions over his tenure. He has fought for patent extensions for big drug companies, he has flown in their jets,' Howell said. 'It might be legal, but it's unethical.'
'I don't need to be lectured,' Hatch said in response to Howell's remarks. 'I am not just talking about fighting for health care, I have been there.'
In response to the accused responsibility for high-priced drugs, Hatch rebutted by reminding Howell and the UMA that he was the head of the committee that created the modern generic drug industry in 1984. In addition he has been directly involved in every medical bill that has come through the senate since that point.
There are two battlefronts in the pharmaceutical fight, Hatch said. On one hand you have drug companies who spend a half of a billion dollars in outlays during the 15-year period that it takes for a patent to get approved by the Federal Drug Administration, and on the other hand you have the generic drug industry. We need a bill that merges both, Hatch said. We need to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.
Howell said he is reviewing the Campbell Bill.
'Something must be done to make it easier for doctors to negotiate with insurance companies,' Howell said. 'Instead, some senators are more concerned about the risk of damaging their financial support from insurance companies.'
The Campbell Bill, Hatch said, has no co-sponsors in the senate. He said that this is because they know that the bill would be subjected to every trade union law in America.
Howell acknowledged Hatch's help in the development of the CHIP program. Hatch responded to Howell.
'I did not just help. I rammed it through,' Hatch said.
'I've naturally done my best,' Hatch said. 'You're not always right, and I am not always right -- but I try to be. We need to work together to get something done in Washington -- not just talk about it,' Hatch said.
During the question and answer period a 40-year-old Washington County man put forth his concerns in regards to the current debate over prescription drug benefits. 'Who is going to pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars?' he asked.
'This is one of the major issues that confronts us now,' Hatch said. 'Gore's program calls for 166 billion dollars over 10 years. It has been revamped to 250 billion over 10 years. Now 357 over 10 years and some say a half a trillion dollars,' Hatch said.
The Bush plan calls for 48 billion to start, and 195 to put it through.
'I actually think we'll do it a better way,' Hatch said.
Howell answered the man by saying that he disputes the senator on the numbers, because they vary daily, and that the real issue is pharmaceuticals, they 'are at the heart of the matter,' Howell said.