Drug Companies Getting Rich on Medicare Part D

[Maud]

Article today says that the drug companies are making millions because of the shift of poor elderly patients from state managed drug programs which aggressively control payments to the Medicare Part D program which is forbidden to negotiate prices. Isn't it wonderful that the Republicans allowed the drug companies to write the bill establishing Part D. Now taxpayers can pay more for the same coverage the poor people already had. Oh well, who said that the government needs to look out for the people's interests? What we have now is a government for greedy.

[Virginia Dare]

Well said, Maud...

welcome to DU!!

:toast:

[rodeodance]

1. I think some senators are working to negotiate a bill to this--but I think

it is going nowhere!


...Part D program which is forbidden to negotiate prices.

[Atman]

2. Welcome to DU, Maud. A little tip...

It is customary to post a link when quoting/commenting on a news article. That way we can all jump in and pretend we know what we're talking about!

[OneBlueSky]

3. got a link? . . . n/t

.

[rusty charly]

5. here?

http://www.progressivestates.org/blog/331/drug-costs-soar-on-medicare-part-d

[Maud]

21. Thanks for the links

Still trying to learn how to post a link. Thanks for providing them.

[rusty charly]

6. here?

http://www.progressivestates.org/blog/331/drug-costs-soar-on-medicare-part-d

and here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/business/18place.html

[RedEarth]

10. Thanks for posting the links.........

[Dark]

4. You're surprised by this? n/t

[Stargazer99]

7. Part D making it worse for some low income seniors

I heard on the news an older woman was not taking her pills for depression because this Medicare Part D was costing more money than they could afford after normal living expenses. The drug companies are making more money than before because the limit of income is receive extra help is pared down below poverty levels. We were told if we did not join Medicare Part D now that every month not joined would have a permanet increase in premiums. Also one could not use Veteran's benefits or else lose Medicare Part D benefits. Those with little money and political clout were screwed royally by the Republican party. The Republican party is counting on the general public not becoming aware of the damage they are doing to low income seniors. I view it as the Republican program to kill off the old and the ill that are not well to do without having the guilt pinned on them.

[feduppuke]

12. That doesn't make sense

I work for a Part-D vendor, and folks on low income subsidy (LIS) pay either $1 or $3 per script or those on an intermediate subsidy pay $2 or $5. They never pay more as a copay, and their premiums are paid by the government.

There are plenty of flaws, but stories like this usually turn out to be less than factual.

[chat_noir]

8. Mission Accomplished

:nuke: :nuke:

[lovuian]

9. The Good News are these old folks aren't fooled by this

another Republican trick which hurts the poor senior

[NVMojo]

11. Also read as: Bush's pharmacuetical pals get rich ...

[tibbir]

13. And in the meantime there are many seniors

who've fallen into the 'donut' period under the program. I talked to someone this week who was shocked that the cost of her medicine had shot up dramatically this month from the amount she'd been paying. She had just signed up and hadn't understood that this would happen to her.

So if they didn't realize when the bill was passed I'll bet just about all seniors will come to find out about how bad this bill is.

[Midlodemocrat]

14. I don't understand this.

There were some very inept state programs which were being totally supported by the pharma industry by deep discounts. They were all illegal because they were never approved by CMS or Congess and they have all been eliminated. Additionally, they covered next to nothing. Medicare Part D is the first program of its kind that will allow seniors to obtain the first $2400 worth of prescriptions with low co-pays. The deductible is often waived by the pharmacy provider.

My FIL who recently passed was spending an absolutely obscene amount on medications, but it was better than the alternative, obviously. I signed him up via the internet for AARP/United's program and he paid $5-$10 for each drug. In fact, when both he and my husband were suffering from pneumonia, the same drug cost us $15 and him $5. And, based on what we are having to pay for my husband's quadruple bypass last month, we have outstanding coverage.

Additionally, if an elderly person is seriously ill, when they reach the donut hole of $2400, it is possible for them to continue to get their prescriptions at the co-pay or for free.

I think a lot of the problems with Medicare Part D is simply that folks just don't understand how it works.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

15. I'm on disability and therefore have Part D. However,

There is a group, a large group, who have been on Medicaid. Those people didn't qualify for SSDI but only SSI. They are poorer.

They didn't get to choose a plan, it was chosen for them. So that is one part of the problem right there.

I chose one that has so far worked well, but if the company that runs it can choose to leave the program at the end of the year. So you have to worry if it is working well for you, cause maybe it isn't working so well for them.

Although they probably bill the guvment for way more.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. My dad was on Medicaid when he was in the nursing home.

and every single one of his drugs was covered in full. We had to give the nursing home his SS check, but that was fine. He got great care. He was one of the lucky ones.

Sorry you are on disability. Hope you aren't in pain or anything. :hug:

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

17. He was lucky. The NY Times article says the same thing I did

about people on medicaid.

Thanks for your sentiments on my disability.

There are any number of downsides to having to be on disability.

And a variety of pains.

But it is better than struggling to work and feeling at the end of my rope, as I'd done for many years.

[Midlodemocrat]

18. I'm sorry.

We're dealing with my husband being on short term disability due to a very surprise bypass and the insurance stuff is just a nightmare. I can't imagine dealing with long term disability. We still have small kids.

You know, if you don't mind, my husband is actually a nationally recognized expert in the Managed Care arena and if you are ever in need of advice or have a question about your coverage, please, please PM me and I will ask him.

He's helped a lot of folks get the coverage that they are entitled to.

Wishing you better health in the time to come.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

19. Thank you! I will make a note of that.

:)

[ikojo]

20. Insurance companies are getting rich as

well at the government trough. I suspect most of the executives of the major insurance companies donate to the pug party.

[Maud]

22. It's all about profits for the drug companies

Medicare Part D is a crime. Those who claim that it's helping are technically correct but at what cost to the taxpayers? Tax dollars that could have been used to provide a really comprehensive prescription drug program are being spent on providing excessive profits for the drug companies. Prohibiting the government from managing the programs costs isn't a win for the free enterprise system, it's a defeat for the taxpayers and the Medicare beneficiaries. Congress could have done better if they weren't on the payroll of the drug companies.

I spent my professional career in the health care industry and ran a Medicare prepayment utilization review unit in a midwestern state. Believe me I know how much money the Medicare program wastes on fraud, abuse and over utilization. I also designed managed care programs for large employers including contracting with pharmacy benefit management companies. Americans are not getting their monies worth when it comes to the amount the nation spends on health care services. It would be a lot better if the government concentrated on how to improve the quality of care instead of how to preserve drug company profits.

[Maud]

23. oops - forgot the insurance companies.

It's all about profits for the drug companies--and the insurance companies who are also making a bundle on this program. More money wasted to pay administrative costs for entities that that didn't even have to have a role in this. Damn those lobbyists are good!