Anyone think they deliberately screwed up the Medicare Rx program?

[prolesunited]

I know some of it is so convoluted to help the drug companies increase their profit margins over the existing 70 to 80% they currently enjoy as well as spread the money around to third parties to market the program.

But, I'm beginning to think that they made it so confusing on purpose. With the current health care crisis, more and more people are looking to government for intervention and solutions. How to stop this? Make a HUGE mess at attempting a new program.

Then, fewer will be looking at the government for solutions and those that do will be told, "Don't you remember what the did with prescription benefits for seniors. Do you want them doing THAT to your health care?"

So, does this sound remotely plausible or am I just over-tired and being paranoid?

[mermaid]

1. Paranoid? No.

I think you just might be onto something. I DO think they may have deliberately screwed it up. As a precursor to defeating Universal Single-Payer Health Insurance. All they will have to do is point to the fucked up Medicare Part D.

Funny thing is...an elderly person I know pointed out that there is a Medicare Part A and a Part B...there is no Part C, and they went to Part D for the drugs.

So now, under Medicare, there are Parts B, A, and D. Coincidence? Or a little truth-telling?

[prolesunited]

2. BAD

I never put that together. Interesting. Has there ever been any official explanation for the missing C or is this just one of their sick inside jokes?

[Enraged_Ape]

10. There used to be a Medicare Part C

If I'm not mistaken, it evolved into the Medicare+Choice (Medicare HMO) program. Now they've changed the name of it again to Medicare Advantage.

[prolesunited]

13. OK, well that makes sense.

I just don't trust these people. Remember OIL -- Operation Iraqi Liberation?

[mermaid]

16. ....

No, that was Operation Anigo Montoya!

My name is Dumbya Bush
You tried to kill my father
Prepare to die.

[Up2Late]

5. Sure there's a Part C, C is for the CASH the Drug Corperations...

...are stuffing their pockets with.

[Up2Late]

3. Defiantly, that's absolutely what they did.

Make it so complex that if you do sign up, you will defiantly, 99 times out of 100 get screwed.

That's one of the main reason they made such a mess at FEMA too, make it so it can't possibly work, so they might as well cut it from the budget.

When you hear them say, "...it's not about class warfare." It IS about Class Warfare.

[EFerrari]

4. Exactly. Make no mistake about it. These criminals

are predators and they prey on our most vulnerable citizens because they can and because they are lazy.

[Hello_Kitty]

6. Yep. And the crappy response to Katrina was no accident either

They want the sheeple to completely distrust Big Gubmint, which they continue to associate with Democrats even though the GOP is now in charge of everything. Oh definitely I can see them mucking up prescription converage in order to make people leery of government health programs.

[TaleWgnDg]

7. America has the most expensive delivery system for its healthcare

in the entire world. Now, shall we add to it this new debacle -- the prescription drug -- delivery system? I think so. BTW, "delivery system" means the method of getting healthcare including prescriptions to the end user/consumer. Corporate America is our delivery system . . . !

[OneBlueSky]

8. Medicare Part D is NOT a benefit program for medical "consumers" . . .

(the folks we used to call patients) . . . it's a giveaway to insurance and pharmaceutical companies that is structured in such a way that it is doomed to failure . . . as you implied, it's a prelude to a larger argument against Medicare itself that will follow . . .

[guidod]

9. The best solution is...

Don't change a thing, sespecially if you have a secondary healthcare program. Keep what you got.

[mermaid]

14. My Congressman, Paul E. Kanjorski, (D-Monroe County, PA) Sent A Report

to the entire 11th District about Medicare Part D, and he encoraged people to stay with what they already have, unless they have NO drug coverage whatsoever. What does that tell you?

Here, check out these, from Congressman Kanjorski's web site...

http://kanjorski.house.gov/NR/exeres/EA90B7A6-5F9B-49DA-A085-5A4FAA9B673A.htm

http://kanjorski.house.gov/HoR/PA11/Newsroom/Press+Releases/2004/09-09-04.htm

I'm trying to find a link on his site to the report he sent to me regarding Medicare Part D. I'll call his office a bit later, when my cell phone charges up. If there is a link on his site, I'll come back and post it.

But, this is from the letter that accompanied the report...

If you participate in PACE or PACENET, you should know that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is less comprehensive than your current coverage. As a result, I would strongly encourage anyone participating in PACE or PACENET to consider remaining in these programs instead of participating in a Medicare prescription drug plan. State officials have also assured me that these programs will continue to provide the same benefits.

If you already have drug coverage through a former employer or though your spouse's employer, your current insurer will send you a letter informing you if their coverage is at least as good as the Medicare prescription drug coverage. If your private coverage is at least as good as the Medicare program it is considered to be "creditable" and you will probably wish to remain in your current program. If the value of your private insurance declines or is terminated in the future, you will be able to join a Medicare plan without penalty. (I bet the private companies administering Medicare Part D won't tell you that!!)

From my perspective, this new program creates confusion and worry for seniors without providing a sound prescription drug benefit. As a result, I opposed the creation of this program when we voted on it in 2003. We should instead have provided seniors with a comprehensive prescription drug program directly through Medicare that is the same for all Medicare participants.

What do you think Congressman Kanjorski thinks of Medicare Part D? And how's THAT for constituent service?!?! Gotta tellya, I like my Congressman!

[mermaid]

21. Here's Congressman Kanjorski's Report - Text-Only Format

http://kanjorski.house.gov/HoR/PA11/Hidden+Content/Text+only+page+1+of+Medicare.htm

there are four pages, use links on left column to access pages 2 3 and 4.

[0007]

30. What do you mean? I have a supplemental insurance plan

with Blue Cross Blue Shield. And it doesn't do anything for prescription drugs that I know of....I pay 200.00 a month for it and it just covers what medicare doesn't pick up.

Show me where secondary health care programs have a prescription drug plan and I'll jump on it.

[Enraged_Ape]

11. There's no question, and they're FORCING people to sign up

Medicare recipients actually get penalized every month after next May that they haven't chosen a Part D plan.

It's obvious what's going on. They're forcing people to become enraged at the Medicare program so that they will DEMAND it be dismantled.

[bemildred]

12. Congress does not screw things up by accident. nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Classic passive-aggressive behavior

Pretend to be for something and then screw it up so badly that it's doomed to fail.

It's exactly like an employer who has been convicted of discrimination and is forced to hire women or people of color. Such an employer will tend to hire the least qualified people possible so that he can say, "See what a mess affirmative action has made of my business?"

I'm convinced that the FEMA mishandling of the hurricane relief was another passive-aggressive move, intended to "prove" that "government can't do anything."

[mermaid]

17. Totally!

You can bet your ass if it was the WHITE, gated community in New Orleans that got flooded out, help woulda been there.

but because it was the poor, black section...who gave a fuck? Those people were never gonna vote Republican, anyway, so who needed them alive?

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Yep, because it costs too much, & they are scared of Rx Co's to drop it.

[Nimrod2005]

19. Of course they did, you are smart to notice...Many won't.

It is called killing the beast --- They hate the program, now they will make you hate it too.

[FormerDittoHead]

20. Not paranoid - observant and logical.

I mean, could have have made a bigger mess if they TRIED?

I mean, who wants to "socialize" medical insurance when it will be like THIS?

Geeze, Walmart taking over all retailing and Disney taking over all media doesn't look so bad now, does it?

Grover Norquist's dream come true....

[prolesunited]

22. Thanks for all of the replies

Sometimes I think I spend to much time here and have become a whacko conspiracy theorist.

[snowbear]

28. LOL !!

If you hear the sounds of helicopters coming to get you, let us know!

[zanne]

23. I rely on a program called "Medication Bridges" in my state

It's run by volunteers and they help me hook up with pharmaceutical companies for free meds. My cardiac meds alone cost over $400 a month, and Medicare Part D is going to cause some of those companies from discontinuing the free meds program. I'll be seriously screwed if that happens. I'll literally have to do without my meds, which keep me from going into heart failure. I just love the Bush administration--it just might literally kill me.

[dragonlady]

24. Don't forget the donut hole

There's a gap in the coverage after a certain amount in which the patient receives no Medicare support until he or she has paid out of pocket to reach the point where the coverage kicks in again. And--you can't make this stuff up--you are forbidden to buy other insurance to help you pay for that gap. Forbidden. How many people may not make it to the other side if they can't afford to bridge that gap?

[TankLV]

25. It was a REPUKE plan - of course! - duh!

[Blue_Roses]

26. A resounding YES!

Talked to my mother tonight and she said that even though she got a 4% social security raise, her medicare went up 25 dollars. She said it would have been 35 dollars if she would have gotten that Rx plan.

What sham! This administration is raking our seniors over the coals.

:mad:

[snowbear]

27. Now that you asked that.. I have a question....

Wouldn't their major screw-up with implementing such a confusing program for seniors be something that Dr. Dean could easily address?

After all.. he's a physician and seems to be knowledgeable about that program. :shrug:

Seems like an area he'd make some great points on if he nailed them on it!

C'mon Dr. Dean.. Drop the GlOVES!!

[0007]

29. You've got it right. I don't know what the answer is and can only see

that big red flag waving at us...if we don't do something fast.