Senators Want Later Medicare Drug Deadline

[brooklynite]

WASHINGTON - Some 48 of the 100 senators urged Republican leaders and the Bush administration on Wednesday to allow all older people more time to sign up for the Medicare drug benefit beyond the May 15 deadline.

"By extending the enrollment deadline and delaying late enrollment penalties, we can make sure that our constituents are not forced to make hasty decisions about their health care," the senators wrote Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

The administration has extended the enrollment period for some low income people. That could affect 2 million people whose incomes are below 150 percent of the poverty level — $14,355 for an older person who lives alone, $19,245 for a couple. Administration officials said last week they lack the legal authority to extend it for everyone.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who has written legislation to extend the deadline, acknowledged in a conference call with reporters that the letter does not have enough signatures to make Frist bring the issue up again. A similar measure was narrowly defeated last year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060419/ap_on_go_co/medicare_deadline_2

[rodeodance]

1. puked on again

[salin]

2. My guess on why they (GOP) won't extend the deadline...

So far they try to tout the success of the program by citing how many people have joined, but at least until recently a huge majority of that number we enrolled automatically due to the rollover from Medicaid programs to Medicare Plan D. That almost always get reported whenever a GOP touts the 'successful' numbers.

I think that they believe that the deadline - will force a big flood of enrollees in the program, and enable them to tout more successful sounding numbers. Too delay the enrollment, even if it would benefit constituents, would put off their ability to tout "success." Desperate to show something 'successful' for people who are not multimillionaires, they are banking on a flood of enrollees so that they can tout it for months prior to the elections.

All of that is almost moot, politically, as the program has caused so many problems and is so hugely expensive - far more than what was reported at passage of the bill - that it doesn't gain them support with or without a surge of enrollment due to fears of fines after the deadline.

[jwirr]

4. I enrolled in their idiot program and I was supposed to be one

of the MA clients that would be automatically rolled over - well forget it. I have been without Metforim, Lipitor and other meds for 2 1/2 weeks. And don't bother to tell me about all the numbers I should call. I have and I am still waiting. The only people to thank for this new medical plan D is *ss, the congress, AARP, the insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and the Devil. They are all in league.

[salin]

5. Agreed

a family member had their prescription plan cancelled "in time to enrol in the new Medidare program" - a whole lot of folks who have enrolled did so because their ins. companies cancelled offering drug benefits due to this plan, leaving customers with the choice of worse than what was had coverage (Medicare D) or no coverage. Incidious.

[Rose Siding]

3. Liberal media.

FOUR repubs joined ALL the dems.

[0007]

6. I haven't sign up yet. I'm holding out on hope that some of the

laws will be changed. Such as being able to switch programs to fit your prescription need that has the formulary for your need. Your allowed two changes and that's it.....that's just one thing.

[yellowcanine]

7. BBBBut Bush said it can't be extended. And he is the decider. So that

is that.

[cosmicdot]

8. Dear Sen. Stabenow ... how about repeal legislation instead?

and, how about mounting a serious call to have Rep. Conyers bill HR 676 brought to the forefront ASAP ... we have crises on all fronts .... energy, environment, education, economy, health care, foreign policy, etc. ... Bu$hCo has made a disaster of everything ... if one isn't a victim of his Katrina-ing of America today, tomorrow is another day ... time is of the essence ... how many will suffer due to a wait-and-see what Diebold holds for us on election days-to-come ... or due to a corporate-friendly/profits before people DLC-GOP approach?

an extension in the sign-up date doesn't fix or change the program ... whether it's May 15th or December 15th ...

... our nation's health care system is beyond any band-aid fix stage ... and, forget about any 10+ year phase-in plans (time isn't a luxury for many) ... forget about Hill members' stock portfolios and investments ... forget about one-upmanship peer competition ... and, forget about such corporate-friendly concepts as Nancy "We want to lower health insurance premiums by combating frivolous lawsuits" can't cut the corporate apron strings Pelosi's "affordable health insurance' ... kick the corporate scoundrels out ... it's time to move now ... lives are literally at stake ... you do have power ... initiate a campaign from the grassroots up to put pressure on the GOP members of Congress ... people say politics are local ... my Gov't 101 class taught that the definition of 'politics' is 'the art of persuasion' ... so, why not use it? ... the angst is there waiting to be tapped ... and, while at it, promise: no more legislation written by corporate america ...

9 GOP Senators voted AGAINST the Medicare Rx bill ... NINE!!
This bill should not have seen the light of day .. but, of course, 11 Democrats voted FOR it (+ 2 Democrats were absent). Jeffords joined the FOR vote.

Never forget those 11 names:

YEAs ---54

Baucus (D-MT)
Breaux (D-LA)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Miller (D-GA)
Nelson (D-NE)
Wyden (D-OR)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00459

Even if Breaux, Miller and Nelson still voted for the Bu$h agenda, the outcome would have been different.

I bet the House vote might come out a bit different than the up-all-night-twisting arms-bullying-by Hastert-Rove-Delay et al that went on until 6 a.m. when they got the numbers they wanted ... then, the gavel went down ... a 218 to 216 bill defeat flipped to a 220 to 215 passage ...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/25/elec04.medicare/index.html

Senator, did you know that the Medicare 800 number now uses voice activation to navigate its system ... no push the telephone buttons anymore ... no just push zero to speak to a Medicare government employee ... only voice ... why? Did you know that Medicare has outsourced to private companies? What happened to all those GS folks? In signing up for this mess, I spoke to a private company agent in Arkansas on one day ... and, Wisconsin on another.

How does one sign up for a plan's formulary not knowing what tomorrow will bring?

btw, PacifiCare was bought out by UnitedHealth. AARP partnered with UnitedHealth for its plan. UnitedHealth is an option, too. 3 choices ... the same corporation. How's that for choice? A DUer noted that UnitedHealth pays its employees badly. Its CEO can cash out stock options amounting to $1.6 Billion.
Are there any socially progressive plans available?

I've wondered how much money it cost pharmacies to implement all these plans into their IM systems.

All we need is our Medicare card to present to a pharmacy with an Rx prescribed by our doctors, and to let Medicare work with Big Pharma.

Some plans have quantity limits, and some don't.
The limits vary from plan to plan, and drug to drug.
Some plans have prior authorization requirements, and some don't.
This requirement varies from plan to plan, and drug to drug.
Some have step therapy, and, some don't; and, varies from plan to plan and drug to drug.

But, let's create work on our doctors and increase anxiety in our citizens.
Big Pharma knows best, right?

:rant:

but, who cares what I think