Changes ahead for Medicare drug program

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Nearly 2 million low-income Medicare participants could be switched to different insurance plans for their prescription drug coverage next year.

Millions more will have to shop around if they want to avoid double-digit increases in their monthly premiums.

The reassignment of the poorest beneficiaries and the higher premiums for many others are just two reasons why seniors and the disabled may want to look into other plans as the Medicare drug benefit enters its third year.

<snip>

Advocacy groups warn the benefit's 24.5 million participants to take nothing for granted even if they're happy with their current coverage.

"Everybody needs to shop around every year," said Patricia Nemore, senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. "Just because you like your plan this year doesn't mean that plan will work the same next year."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_he_me/medicare_drugs

[silverojo]

1. More joy from Bu$hCo

Crush the elderly...that's the way of the GOP! :mad: :grr:

[ClintonTyree]

2. Every year....

I have to go through the entire list of insurers to find one that best covers my few prescriptions. The second year, Humana came up with a 300% rate hike over my first year plan. This year I have WellCare and they're increasing my rates a MERE 40%. Sooooo......back to the barely navigable Medicare web-site to see if I can find yet another plan that isn't going to screw me into the ground next year.

They've designed this Drug Plan to make it difficult as possible for seniors to choose a plan and stick with it. Many seniors get caught in horrible plans they can't afford because they don't check the swamp of paperwork they get sent by Medicare every year. It's totally designed to benefit the insurers, not the people being insured. It sucks, BIG TIME, but then it's a Bush plan so how could it possibly NOT be a piece of shit? :grr:

I save a whopping $60 a year over paying for my own prescriptions out of pocket. And that's IF I search for the best plan available for me every year. It's almost not worth it, but if something should change, if my health should worsen, if I should need some more prescriptions and I'm NOT enrolled in a Medicare Part D Plan, I'd have to pay a PENALTY the following year to enroll in one. Bush sucks, his Medicare Drug Plan sucks, everything he does sucks.

[Vinca]

3. The whole plan is idiotic. First of all, every drug should be covered

on every plan. Secondly, if private insurers must be involved, they need to offer the same plans at the same prices to everyone. If they want to add bells and whistles to attract more business, they can do that. Every year this program gets more expensive for people who can least afford it and so complicated I'm sure some just throw their hands in the air.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. Bull, Vinca! I am calling you out!

How DARE you inject rational thinking in what is a HUGE profit center for Big Pharma?
Shame on you for that.
Don't you know that if we fuck with big pharma, they can't spend 2.8 billion marketing pain killers that work no better, and often worse, than existing drugs? Ignoring the heart problems their new drugs create, in the meantime?

Where are your priorities? golly gee.

[pattmarty]

4. Well, so much for "more choice" and the "free market". But everyone here knew this didn't we.

[peaches2003]

5. What has to change is the 'donut hole'

Part D is not that hard to understand and the basic rules are the same for whichever ins. co. you pick. The variances between the major insurance companies (Humana, AARP, etc.) are relatively minor- a dollar or so difference in your monthly premium is pretty much balanced by a dollar or so difference on what you pay per prescription. They have to remain competitive with each other.

The rip-off is the donut hole itself- what you AND the ins. company pay for your drugs is totalled to get you into the donut hole as fast as possible. But when you are in it only YOUR out-of-pocket drug expenses count toward getting you out of the hole. In the donut hole you pay total cost of your drugs and the ins. co. pays zero. Your Part D premiums should count toward your out-of-pocket expense and they don't. They want to keep you in that donut hole as long as possible where the ins. companies get off paying nothing while you are still paying your premiums but they don't count as out-of-pocket costs. The whole system was set up to favor the ins. companies.

[yy4me]

6. I assume you have priced out the prescription drug plans

at Target, Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Huge list of $4.00 or 5.00 generic drugs.

I had to decline the prescription drug coverage because my Social Security payment was already below $500.00 a month.

The one pill I take is on the $4.00 drug list at Wal-Mart. I hope I don't ever need any brand name stuff, and I am betting that the drug plan changes.

[dysfunctional press]

7. i refuse to takje part in part D- it's a complete rip-off.

it's cheaper for me to buy my meds directly.

[whathappened]

9. thats my feeling

about plan d , screew it i just go and pay cash and get a better deal , cause drug store likes it that way , they get cash in there hands right now andno paper work , until the dems get control of this d , it sucks big time bush is a loser and anything attached to him is bs

[Cleita]

11. Me too.

I can still afford to boycott it, as my drug needs are still very few, but I wonder for how long.

[dysfunctional press]

14. my med needs are very few as well-

i take methadone for chronic pain...my doc switched me from oxycontin when i lost my insurance- the methadone is about $25/month. i also take prednisone.

my blood pressure is great, my cholesterol is fine, and i'm past the anti-depressants.

i'm 46, and i've been on disability since i was 38 due to an arthritic spine....by the time i need the more serious meds, i'm hoping that the program will have been overhauled, and we'll have single-payer universal healthcare...call me a dreamer.

[Cleita]

16. I certainly hope so. Just keep those positive thoughts in mind.

I do believe there is something to group mindthink. :-)

[peaches2003]

12. Then you are lucky

My husband has high drug costs and even with the donut hole and premiums he saved $ with Part D.

[sutz12]

8. When corporate America offers you a 'choice' hang on to your wallet.

:shrug:

[Faygo Kid]

13. This is Bush's goal: Destroy the New Deal, destroy the Great Society

Too many people - even here at DU - got complacent when he failed to crush Social Security in 2005. Well, wake up people. He will never quit trying to end anything that benefits the middle class and the poor. Never. And he expects to succeed.

Geez, what does it take?

[annabanana]

15. It was easy to see this coming.

We knew when this was set up that the companies had no obligation to carry ANY particular medication, and that they could change their formulary at any time.

Of course they are going to be sliding all over the place for the cheapest stuff. The "clients" however, will have to re-research ALL their options and ALL their medications during every annual open season to avoid financial catastrophe.