Anxiety, insomnia, seizure meds not covered by new Medicare laws

[rainbow4321]

http://baytownsun.com/wire.lasso?report=/dynamic/stories/M/MEDICARE_ANXIETY_DRUGS?SITE=TXBAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-06-27-10-22-05


When the federal government's new prescription drug benefit kicks in next year, it will not cover a category of drugs commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizures. That means those disabled and elderly people on Medicare who take Xanax, Valium, Ativan and other types of the drug benzodiazepine will have to look elsewhere for coverage or switch to a different, less addictive medication.

Finding other alternatives may not be easy for the 1.7 million low-income, elderly people who take the drug and will be automatically enrolled in the new prescription drug plan. They will depend on the states to continue paying for their benzodiazepines - "benzos" for short - on Jan. 1, but with no guarantee.

Elderly people who don't qualify for Medicaid will have to pay for the drugs on their own as they do now, find a replacement that is part of the new Medicare benefit or pay higher premiums for additional prescription coverage.

"The benzodiazapine exclusion raises serious concerns that people with Medicare who sign up for Part D plans will receive inappropriate care for conditions that are common in older and disabled adults," the group said. Part D plans make up the Medicare prescription drug program.

[Warpy]

1. The good news is that most benzos are generics

meaning the original patent has expired and that you can generally find a cheap source of those drugs.

This is still an incredibly stupid provision and can only have been written by a theocrat who thinks benzos are only bandaid drugs for unhappy people and if you rip the bandaid off they'll find Jesus.

Assholes.

[havocmom]

2. Will it still pay for Viagra?

After all, a guy's GOTTA have his boner. Tell granny the seizures are good exercise and she will get all the sleep she needs when she kicks over. :grr:

[katmondoo]

3. I just deceived my Medicare drug application saying I may be eligible

for prescription drugs. Fortunately I do not take any drugs and even if I did I would find a way to pay for them without filling this application out that in the end will be the demise of Medicare.
I need help in what to say as I intend to tell them to shove it.I just need advice on how hard I can go and if I should sign my name or return this application with comments and remain anonymous. This drug bill is meant to destroy not help anyone.

[this_side_up]

4. IIRC, won't they charge you

a 1% penalty every month for not signing up?

Cannot find the article that said this.

[rainbow4321]

5. This is from the AARP webpage:

http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare/drug_coverage/Articles/a2004-03-30-newdrugbenefit.html

Late Enrollment Penalty: As with Medicare Part B enrollment, there will be a penalty for not enrolling in the Medicare drug benefit in the first six months that you are eligible. The penalty will be about 1% for each month you delay. This penalty does not apply if you lose drug coverage that you had from another source, which was at least as good as the Medicare drug benefit.