Medicare erroneously sends checks

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - About 230,000 Medicare recipients are getting checks that erroneously reimburse them for monthly premiums they have paid for prescription drug coverage this year.

The checks, which are sure to leave many beneficiaries confused, average about $215. They are accompanied by a letter that mistakenly tells them the Social Security Administration will no longer deduct monthly premiums for drug coverage from their Social Security check.

Medicare officials say they caught the glitch just after checks totaling nearly $50 million were sent out last week. As a result, they began sending a second letter Tuesday instructing the elderly and disabled not to cash the checks and assuring them that their prescription drug coverage will continue.

"It's very important for people to know their coverage is continuing," said Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "There's no disruption at all."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_go_ot/medicare_drugs

[katinmn]

1. Too bad it's only a glitch. Free prescriptions for all!

[valerief]

2. When I saw your headline, I fully expected to read in your

text that billions were erroneously sent from Medicare to Halliburton (or some other BushCo pillager).

[tanyev]

3. "DON'T cash the checks." Oh yeah, that's gonna work.

People will spend that money and then when the govt comes after them to get the money back, they'll be twice as mad.