Medicare Drug Benefit Fails to Boost Bush, Survey Finds

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54946-2004Aug10.html

Medicare Drug Benefit Fails to Boost Bush, Survey Finds

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 11, 2004; Page A06

The Medicare prescription drug benefit President Bush signed into law in December has not provided the political boost among seniors that the White House and independent analysts expected, according to a comprehensive survey released yesterday.

Nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries view the new law negatively, though that dissatisfaction has not translated into a severe backlash, say pollsters for the Harvard School of Public Health and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Seven months after enactment and despite the administration's $87 million promotional effort, the program remains largely a muddle for the elderly and disabled whom it is meant to help, the survey found. A fraction -- fewer than 10 percent -- of the 41 million eligible for the first component, a new drug discount card, have signed up.

"At least at this very early stage, they view the glass as more empty than full," said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser foundation. Of the 1,223 Medicare recipients surveyed, 47 percent had an unfavorable view of the benefit, 26 percent had a favorable view and 25 percent said they did not know enough to form an opinion. <snip>

Just 10 percent endorsed outright repeal of the law, though large majorities support two major changes: legalizing drug importation from countries such as Canada and giving the government authority to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices. The Bush administration has opposed both ideas; the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), supports both. <snip>


On JohnKerry.com this morning: "Kerry and Edwards will allow reimportation of safe, FDA-approved prescription drugs to give Americans access to the substantial discounts for prescription drugs in Canada, and require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate better prices for prescription drugs under Medicare. They will end loopholes that keep more affordable prescription drugs from the market and help states provide relief by allowing them to extend Medicaid discounts."

And noted for our media readers: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4921463.html

350 orders of prescription drugs shipped from Canada were seized in Miami yesterday, reports the Pioneer Press' Warren Wolfe

Minnesota seniors' drugs seized
Warren Wolfe, Star Tribune
August 11, 2004 DRUGS0811

U.S. customs officials in Miami have seized a prescription drug shipment from a Canadian pharmacy with about 350 orders, half intended for members of the Minnesota Senior Federation, officials said Tuesday.

The drugs were shipped about two weeks ago by CanadaRx, based in Toronto, the primary pharmacy used by the Senior Federation.

Even more remarkable than the seizure itself -- reportedly the largest U.S. interception of low-cost drugs from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, valued at $250,000 -- were the sources.

The drugs came from England, Germany, Switzerland, France, New Zealand and Australia, as well as Canada. That's the first public indication that Canadian mail-order pharmacies are grasping beyond England to find drugs made scarce by manufacturers trying to shut down the lucrative cross-border trade.

The drugs were shipped from Freeport, the Bahamas, in an attempt by CanadaRx to duck Canadian laws prohibiting a pharmacy from importing drugs, then selling them abroad.<snip>

[WI_DEM]

1. not surprising since it was a bad bill

the only real benefit went to the drug manufacturers.

[Myrina]

2. OMG ! So some people who are waiting for their meds

.... and have already spent money, aren't going to get them and possibly can't afford to 'replace' them at a stateside Rx ?

"...U.S. customs officials in Miami have seized a prescription drug shipment from a Canadian pharmacy with about 350 orders ..."


THAT is criminal !!!!! :mad:

[Wickerman]

3. Next time I talk to Dad, a Bush* defender, remind me to ask him

which card he signed up for. I'll be sure to ask him how long it took to decide which card suited him and his wife best, and how much he is seeing in savings - oh, guess I better hurry, he has to get a new card in Jan if I recall correctly.

[happynewyear]

4. all it did for me was cause prices to go up even more

I'm on Medicare (and NO I am not old!) and I also have a supplemental plan that provides prescription drug coverage. The plan wanted nothing to do with this "new" plan. Instead, my co-payments will be going up again next year to as much as $75.00. Needless to say, I won't be getting very many RX's filled anymore. How do people manage? The supplemental policy has a cost of about $350.00 a month - add in the ~$70.00+ a month for Medicare - we are talking over $400.00 a month and that is just now.

So long *, no one (young or old) on Medicare is going for this bogus plan. It has only caused prescription prices to rise even further and I bet many people are just like me saying to hell with these damn drugs and I cannot afford them even with insurance.

:(

:dem: :kick:

[underpants]

5. My in-laws quit AARP over that

as did many people. Of all the people to try to sneak something by on the elder were the wrong group-they can do the math and seem to really enjoy it (generally).