In the News
ST. LOUIS—This site has joined two other major senior-oriented Web sites in a nationwide protest asking President Obama to force the Food and Drug Administration to halt its arbitrary seizure at our nation’s borders of vitally needed, doctor-prescribed medications legally purchased by seniors, as well as by many other Americans, from legitimate pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand.
The combined audience for the three sites involved in the protest includes millions of seniors, medical providers, care-givers and key, influential policymakers, both at the state and federal levels.
Spearheading the protest is Daniel Hines, Web master and executive editor of www.todaysseniorsnetwork.com, one of the largest, most influential, senior-oriented Web sites in the nation. Frank Kaiser, Web master and publisher of www.suddenlysenior.com, is also putting the muscle and influence of his Web site behind the protest.
“Especially disturbing is the fact that the FDA recently resumed its heavy-handed technique of sending threatening letters to the U.S. citizens whose doctor-prescribed medications have been seized,” Hines said, “suggesting that they (the citizens) are in violation of U.S. law.”
Hines added that the tone of the letters lately has been “softened” somewhat because the FDA apparently realized that such intimidation was both ill-advised and largely unacceptable. Still, the newer letters coming from the FDA claim that the reason for the seizures is that the medications include new, unapproved ones.
“In fact,” said Hines, “all such medications seized, including the widely prescribed cholesterol medication, Lipitor, were actually manufactured at FDA-approved facilities.”
The joint protest by the three senior sites is intended as an appeal to President Obama to reaffirm his previously stated support of Americans being able to continue purchasing safe, affordable prescription medications from so-called Tier One countries, Hines added.
A Tier One country is considered to be one where the country’s pharmaceutical industry is deemed to meet—or exceed—U.S. oversight and regulations. Currently, there are about 22 countries designated as being Tier One, including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Israel.
“The president has gone on record as supporting an approach that allows U.S. citizens the right to have their prescriptions filled from pharmacies in Tier One countries,” Hines added. “We are therefore asking him to order the FDA to ‘cease and desist’ in their latest efforts to prevent American citizens from doing just that.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For a more in depth analysis of this issue, please visit www.todaysseniorsnetwork.com or www.suddenlysenior.com.
YMBGOI joins senior sites
to protest FDA seizures
of prescription medicines.
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Retirees, disabled
to receive $250 one-time payment under Obama Economic Recovery Plan.
About fifty-five million Americans now drawing benefits from Social Security, Supplement Security Income, Social Security Disability Income or Veterans' and Railroad Retirement benefits will receive a one-time payment of $250 under the recently enacted law known as the American Recovery and Reinsvestment Act of 2009. Couples will receive a one-time payment of $500.
The legislation was drafted by the Obama Administration and presented to Congress shortly after President Obama took office. Congress passed the legislation in early February.
Beneficiaries should receive their payments by June. The money will automatically be distributed as either an extra benefit check or as an additonal direct bank deposit, depending upon how beneficiaries currently receive retirement payments.
Additional information available at: www.ssa.gov /payment.
