Medicare .....Devil in the Details. A closer look.

[madfloridian]

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=6228

Here is just an example of the outrageous giveaways to drug companies:

SNIP...."1. Severely Restricts Access to Prescription Drugs

The new law gives private insurers the authority to ration access to drugs funded by Medicare. Insurer-created committees decide what types of drugs to cover, which specific drugs to include on their formularies, and how high to set the beneficiary payment for each drug. It will be difficult and, in some cases, impossible to get drugs that are not included on an insurer’s formulary. These restrictions, rarely seen in today’s private marketplace, mean that seniors who have drug coverage today could have less access to drugs under the plan. Thus, even more beneficiaries will lose under this law than the estimated 2.7 million seniors losing retiree coverage and 6.4 million beneficiaries losing Medicaid help.

2. Denies Beneficiaries Genuine Choice

Beneficiaries will have to choose a drug insurer without knowing exactly what drugs that insurer will cover. Even after they learn what drugs are on the formulary, the insurer can change or remove drugs at any time. While beneficiaries must be given notice, they have no option to change insurers during the year to retain access to the drugs their insurer no longer covers. This is a bait and switch. Moreover, if the law succeeds in expanding HMOs and preferred provider organizations (PPOs), there is no guarantee of any choice for beneficiaries in traditional Medicare. Drug coverage will be available only through whatever private insurer plan comes to their area, no matter how high its premium....."

There is a lot more at the site if you follow the links.

We already have good prescription drug coverage, but when we are forced to go on Medicare they can drop us. I think everyone should read this and share this information.

My grandparents died before Medicare came into being. They were disabled for years. Without some leg pulling by a friend who headed a local hospital my parents would have been bankrupt..and they were NOT poor. Until 1965 this is the way it was....it was do it yourself or who you knew.

To any young people who don't take this seriously, imagine yourself having the full responsibility of parents deemed uninsurable as they grow older. This plan does NOT have to include the sickest.

[madfloridian]

1. Media is squelching the anger of seniors....just ignoring it.

The media is keeping down any dissent by seniors, I am convinced of that. A letter might appear here and there in the newspapers, but overall the media tactic is just the usual......ignore it.

So I will kick this, maybe someone will notice how horrible this thing is.

[annak110]

2. I made a little flyer and took it in to the local "news" paper

also I intend to drop it around town it contains the chart put out by "Center for American Progress" (?) which lists the amount of money * and 6 House and Senate "leaders" have received from the pharmaceutical industry and added the following statement:


Did you really like the Medicare bill?

Thousands of senior citizens dropped their membership in AARP because that greedy organization supported the bill. AARP sells insurance and now their rates can and will go up, Rocky Mountain HMO has already raised rates. Medicare will raise its rates. The media are reporting that the bill was popular with senior citizens but seniors are intelligent beings who know that they will not be helped but will be harmed by the bill. Thousands wrote and called Congress in opposition to this bill.

The overlarge Pharmaceutical and Insurance Companies supported, sponsored, and bribed public officials to get the bill passed. Featured here is a picture of several corrupt public officials who supported this rip-off.

(Followed by picture of course)

[CivilRightsNow]

3. Heritage pumped 30 million bucks...

into a media campaign to make this happen.

And you think that the media is gonna give a shit about what the seniors think?

[madfloridian]

4. No, but I will keep trying anyway.

If I try, I might get a little attention for it. If I don't try, nothing will happen for sure.

I wish you would not give up hope.

[silverlib]

5. I'm a liitle late getting into this one...

but I want you to know that I have not given up hope and appreciate your ideas and especially your actions. I'm working on it from my end by emails and a local voice, too. Good luck. This is an important issue and just because the media is ignoring it doesn't mean that we, as citizens, need to ignore this, too.

[madfloridian]

6. Thanks so much. I am writing and calling our local reporters.

One of them chuckled and told me I was nothing if not persistent. I think it was a compliment and an insult at the same time. }(

[Gin]

7. CSPAN had a panel on discussing the bill....The medicare gap (?)

coverage you can buy now....will not be accepted in 06 once the whole thing kicks in....if you stay in medicare and the drug you want is not covered you cannot use any other plan to pick up the cost...it will be yours....they want all to get off medicare and go into private plans....the plans will decide "what" drugs they will cover...and the "cost" to us for the drugs. No universal cost or coverage in all the plans.

Just wait until the news gets out....the backlash cometh....another thing I heard is...you make a decision on a PPO or HMO- ONE time and from then on...you are stuck with that program...so...we better learn what we are getting into...because we will be in for the duration.

Fuck all of them!