By Tom Easter
July 12, 2004

Past Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino held a special healthcare discussion during the 72nd Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, which was held in his home city of Boston. Menino brought together members of Boston's healthcare community to highlight concerns and best practices in the Boston healthcare system.

"Boston is the hub of the healthcare Universe," said John Auerbach, Director of Boston Public Health Commission, referring to Boston's prominence in healthcare. He cited it as the oldest municipal public health program in the U.S., which was originally head by Paul Revere. Auerbach discussed the problems facing the city such as reducing the serious health outcome gap between whites and others in the Boston community.

Charles Baker, CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the Boston areas leading non-profit healthcare system, discussed major concerns. These included persons taking multiple unnecessary prescriptions, the need to utilize mail order for chronic prescription medications and the need for increased health and wellness training.

"There is tremendous value in having trust between a private municipal health management company and the municipality that it manages," said Baker. "Data and information sharing are critical to success," he added.

These included controlled regulated importation of prescription medications, U.S. pressure on other countries to share the burden of drug research, patent protection modification and voluntary manufacturer limits on pricing disparities of drugs to various entities are some of the suggestions Mark Reynolds, Advisor to Menino on Drug Re-Importation, described a long-term solution for lowering the cost of prescription drugs to Americans.

"53 million Medicare patients are without drug coverage," said Reynolds who announced the start of Boston's prescription drug importation pilot program to begin July 1. The pilot will include 140,00 city retirees and will import chronic illness prescription drugs from Canada.

Other cities currently importing prescription drugs from Canada are Worcester (MA), Burlington (VT), and Springfield (MA).

Elaine Ullian, CEO Boston Medical Center, highlighted the activities of the Boston Medical Center citing services such as free bus transportation for patients, 15 health centers, the feeding of 36,000 poor individuals annually and the reception of $35 million in private philanthropy in 2003.

Barbara Ferrer, Deputy Director of Boston Public Health Commission, talked of addressing the health related racial disparities in Boston. Exposure to environmental hazards, limited access to health insurance, difference in care and racism were among the areas of concern. A task force headed by Menino will review the data, set up a blueprint to make possible changes and identify future outcomes.

During the Monday business session, the Conference full body passed a resolution, "supporting the safe re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada. To see a full list of all resolutions please go to usmayors.org.