Mark McClellan says we are working--(its hard work)--

[rodeodance]

gee even scott's brother has to work. my my

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060113/ts_usatoday/seniorsdeniedrxdrugbenefits&printer=1;_ylt=AjME4QwgO3yfy6sNxK9NUSXfB2YD;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE

Seniors denied Rx drug benefits
By Richard Wolf and Julie Appleby, USA TODAYFri Jan 13, 6:50 AM ET

Medicare's new prescription-drug program is causing thousands of low-income seniors and disabled Americans to lose their drug benefits, prompting at least 14 states to pay for their prescriptions.


The problem affects thousands of the 6.2 million people whose drug coverage was automatically transferred from Medicaid to Medicare this month. At drugstores nationwide, pharmacists are telling beneficiaries that they're not enrolled, or their drugs aren't covered, or they must pay deductibles and larger co-payments than they can afford, interviews with federal, state and local officials show. (Related story: Benefit costly for some poor)


The trouble stems from worse than expected start-up problems with the new Medicare drug plan, which began Jan. 1. "It's a major public health crisis," says Jeanne Finberg of the National Senior Citizens Law Center. "People are trying to get their drugs, and they can't get them."
..............


The Bush administration has worked to fix the fledgling prescription-drug program. The government has urged insurers to beef up customer service desks, which have left pharmacists and beneficiaries on hold for hours. It also required that prescriptions be approved for 30 days while disputes are resolved. "The benefit needs to work for everyone," says Mark McClellan, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "We're working ... to make sure that no one leaves without the prescriptions that they need."

[Spinzonner]

1. Just more of the same from the Katrina Administration of the Katrina party

[OrwellwasRight]

2. This is inexcusable.

The bill passed in November 2003 for pete's sake. And the Republicans, the ones who blather on and on about the efficiency of the private sector and the inefficiency of government, have had more than two years to figure out how to get the private sector to supply low cost drugs to Medicaid beneficiaries, and they still couldn't do it. Hmmmm.....

It's not that difficult really: just give them the fucking information in a timely manner and demand that these folks get the extra benefits or the right to participate in the program will be revoked.

Somehow, the inefficient government sector has been able to do this successfully for years.

How many old and disabled people will have to die before the fucking NeoCons get this fixed?

Or will they not fix it, and like Katrina, just hope an new news story takes away the public's attention. Maybe the orange alerts will make a sudden comeback...

[Atman]

3. "PERFECT! It's working better than we'd hoped!"

The burden has been shifted to the states. The Federal govt. continues unabated on its quest to drown "the beast" in the bathtub.