Pocketbook Impact of Medicare Bill: Seniors' Drug Costs Will Keep Rising

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAKXUDIGND.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - Seniors will face annual increases in premiums and deductibles - and a growing gap in coverage - for the prescription drugs they buy under the new Medicare law, budget analysts say. snip

After that, there would be no further coverage until beneficiaries' drug bills for the year reached $5,100, leaving a gap of $2,850 that they would have to pay out of their own pockets. Above $5,100 the insurance would pick up roughly 95 percent of costs.

Those are the numbers supporters of the bill have used, with little mention that they would change in future years.

In other words, seniors would pay a $445 deductible and those with the largest drug bills would be entirely responsible for more than $5,000 in drug costs.

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[MasonJar]

1. This bill

is a scam, rewarding the insurance and the corporations at the expense of the poor and the American taxpayer. How do these neo-cons keep getting away with it? The government is not allowed to negotiate for lesser costs with drug cos. What kind of bill is this?

[leftchick]

2. This is typical RepubliCON Bait and Switch.....

The Dems that voted for this should be booted out of office.....

<snip>But after just one year, the Congressional Budget Office projects that seniors would see their $250 deductible and the $2,850 gap for which there is no coverage both jump 10 percent.

By 2013, the eighth year of the program, the deductible and the coverage gap are both projected to grow by 78 percent.

In other words, seniors would pay a $445 deductible and those with the largest drug bills would be entirely responsible for more than $5,000 in drug costs.

"I think these numbers will come as a shock to consumers and they are pretty optimistic projections based on what drug costs are going to do," said Gail Shearer, a health policy analyst at Consumers Union and an opponent of the legislation. She noted the focus has been on 2006, the year the prescription drug benefit begins.


:grr:

[Malva Zebrina]

3. i believe it

stay away from doctors and hospitals, if you can. Explore alternative medicine for that "gastric reflux". Refuse to "ask your doctor" who, I don't know about you, but I, could not get an appointment with after trying twice--had to call On the same day for the appointment, no appointments made ahead of time. :shrug: and that is even withoiut privatization. Who needs that? and above all, take the money you have managed to save and go spend it on traveling or other things that give you pleasure after working like a slave all of your life. Exercise so that you can keep walking, and do things to keep your mental capacity astute. Protect your land and your house also. Do anyting to thwart those who would take it from you. They are all out to make big bucks off seniors, the most exploited of all populations.