73 Options for Medicare Plan Fuel Chaos, Not Prescriptions

[CShine]

Even before they go into effect on June 1, the cards — which are approved by Medicare but offered by various companies and organizations — have been the subject of heated political debate, an AARP advertising campaign about how confusing they are and anxious speculation from those they are supposed to help. Among retirees of different income groups interviewed last week, the initial reaction was incomprehension.

"Even the person who came to explain it to us didn't understand it," said Mary Shen, 77, at the Whittaker Senior Center on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "It's not fair to expect seniors, who have enough difficulties already, to have to figure this out."

Shirley Brauner, 75, pushed a metal walker through the center's lunchroom. "All I've got to say is they confuse the elderly, including me," she said. "I'm furious. They're taking advantage of the seniors. How can the seniors understand it?"

The prescription drug discount cards are a prelude to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act, which will provide broad drug coverage starting in 2006. The federal government projects that 7.3 million of Medicare's 41 million participants will sign up for the cards.


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/national/12medicare.html?hp

[Ruby Romaine]

1. it's all Clinton's fault!!!

sorry, have not heard any Clinton blaming today!

they would have impeached Clinton if he'd lied about medicare cost like the repukes did.

[jdj]

2. I'm thinking this cost issue is a backdoor or something.

Like they can repeal the bill with it if it looks like there will be too much of a backlash from senior voters about this medicare bill.

It's infuriating to me because alot of people won't know til they are locked in for a year and then suddenly their drug is dropped off the formulary and they won't get any discount at all and can't use any of the other cards they used to be able to use.

This is such a scam

[Lalena]

17. We are trying to reduce my mother's $500 monthly drug bill

We have been on the Medicare web site and are amazed at how difficult it is to navigate. We found a plan that appeared to be best for my mother (her drugs were in the formulary) and her pharmacy was listed as a plan participant. The pharmacy told us that they didn't participate in that plan and suggested another plan. We checked the site again and it indicated her pharmacy didn't participate in the plan they suggested. We, again, talked to the pharmacy and were told that the web site had many inaccuracies.

If seems that she will pay for some plan and it may or may not assist her in reducing her drug costs. I think I will just drive her across the border to Windsor (Canada) to get her drugs.

[pansypoo53219]

3. and this is why we need 2 parties not more

sometimes more than coke and pepsi is not good for the concentration challenged american.

[squidbro]

4. It is worse than simple confusion

The program is confusing, but that isn't the real shame.

The real shame is that the drug companies are salivating over all of the potential extra profits to be made at the public's expense.

Just watch and wait.

The pharmaceutical companies will raise prices further as much of the true cost of drugs are hidden by the Medicare benefit.

Watch as private insurance companies who provide supplemental coverage encourage their clients to sign up for the Medicare program, promising to cover the part of the cost that Medicare does not, putting additional burdens on the taxpayers, but allowing the insurance companies greater profits.

Just wait until the more and more of the expensive biologic agents hit the market. For example, look up the price of Bexxar. And just wait until the transgenic animal organs become available for transplants.

America is about to become bankrupted by the greed that runs rampant throughout healthcare. The Medicare drug program is only the beginning.

It's too bad Clinton's proposed health care program failed. Greed and capitalism are poor models for healthcare as all Americans will soon find out.

[SoCalDem]

5. Most have already been raising thier prices..as much as 25%

(for the most used drugs...by seniors).. The oldsters now have to PAY for a card, meet a deductible, and Maybe they will save a few pennies.. Drug companies can "change" prices weekly, but oldsters can only change cards once a year..It's just a scam.. The drug companies got their bundle 'o cash UPFRONT, and just had to "promise" to set up their plans.. Some drug companies sell their own cards.. Not all pharmacies will cooperate and some sell THEIR cards too..

The oldsters who were lucky enough to have a plan already through a former employer will LOSE it, when their "bribe" runs out..The HMO's that some have now also received a "huge bribe"..

The corporations,HMO's and drug companies have already received their bags of cash...The old people get to do "homework" and then have to buy a card that probably won't help them at all..

[SeattleDem]

16. my belief is that price inflation was done on purpose

by the drug companies so that seniors and those who help pay their bills would become outraged at the lack of Medicare drug coverage and thus do their bidding with Congress for them! The prices are already inflated, and it will only get worse.

Why pay a bunch of lobbyists a lot of money when you can use pricing throughout the 1990's to infuriate the public and get THEM to demand drug coverage from the government?

And yes, once coverage is in place, there is no incentive to hold down drug prices. I've studied health economics in grad school, and this is a given, when the "true" price is hidden from the end user (the patient) because the bill is paid by a third party, be it Medicare, Blue Cross, whatever, prices tend to inflate over time.

[Mountainman]

6. We should never let the market decide the cost of a necessity or basic

needs. Energy, medical care, education, basic food, clothing, shelter should be there for all at a minimum level. It's not that we can't afford to do it or that it is immoral to do it, quite the contray, if the followers of Christ would do what he instructed them to do they would do it.

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
25:36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
25:37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
25:38
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
25:39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

[yardwork]

12. If we can afford to spend hundreds of billions "freeing" Iraq

why can't we afford to feed, educate, house, and provide health care to our own citizens?

Never has the selfish agenda at the core of the Republican belief system been shown in such stark relief as it is with the W Bush administration.

And these people call themselves Christians.

[gasperc]

7. I picked up one of those "applications" at my drugstore

$25 bucks for this stupid card and no indications of what drugs are covered, what are the savings, how to get the rebates etc.

and what about generic, all this stupid fucking card does is push non-generic drugs

I have insurance AND I STILL DEMAND GENERICS WHEN AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!!

[mulethree]

8. grill your pharmacist and doctor about the dosage too

like 2 x 50 mg tablet per day at $1 per tablet = $2 per day
versus 1/2 of a 200mg tablet at $2 per tablet = $1 per day
or 1 x 200mg tablet every other day at $2 per tablet = $1 per day

[gasperc]

9. clever

and it looks like pharmacists and drug companies taking advantage of how doctors write their scripts.

[SeattleDem]

15. the pharmacist/pharmacy makes $2/prescription

regardless of what they fill it with. Sad but true, insurance companies dictate the profit of the pharmacies, and on average, the pharmacist makes about $2 per prescription filled.

that is why Rite-Aid and the big chains try to fill volumes of prescriptions, not focusing on counseling patients etc. You have to fill a lot of prescriptions to make a profit at $2/pop.

(and, of course, data show that the error rates go up when the pharmacist has to fill those high volumes of prescriptions).

Your average pharmacist isn't manipulating what strength of a pill they fill your prescription with to make money nor is the doctor. It's the drug company who sets the prices and the insurers.

[oneighty]

10. Dr. Mark McClellen

Medicare Medicaid services administrator on C-Span now plugging the card program. He is slick as the Baker (Tammy) guy, a snake oil salesman, gets 130,000 dollars salary, suggests he is worth much more, but he be doing alright.

180

[Ruby Romaine]

11. and he's Scotty's Bro

[DustMolecule]

13. Is he REALLY???

n/t

[oneighty]

14. I'll be darned.

I did not make that connection. He IS POS!

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