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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (103169)	1/17/2006 5:04:16 PM
From: Knighty Tin	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

The new Medicare Drug Program is a true representative of Bush incompetence and negligence. I switched my Mother over and it has been a nightmare for me. If she had had to do it on her own, she couldn't have done it. It will be a good deal for her if they don't kill her off first. First, the program, assuming it works perfectly, is a Byzantine mass of confusion. Deductibles and copays are bad enough, but then you get to the mighty doughnut hole. After you have spent $2500 on drugs in any given year, you pay 100% of the next $2500. If you are still solvent, you go back on a different copay arrangement. Second, nobody got their cards or authorization letters out in time, so there was no plan in place on Jan 1. Expecting this, I made sure Mom had 3 weeks supply before the change. The insurance cos. provide contradictory information. Ours put out a Formulary brochure telling what they cover. Then the phone reps said they don't cover it. Then they changed their minds and said they covered that one, but not another one. Major league help on this case. <G> Using a preferred provider pharmacy, they screwed up the first order. They gave us one prescription that was totally wrong and I, fortunately, caught it. Her GP has tried to help. The Liver Center that did her transplant has been no help at all and several of my voicemails remain unanswered. I was able to threaten the pharmacist enough to get the prescriptions without their help. She has doctors on her bottles I've never heard of. I'm sure they're overwhelmed, but, knowing this program was coming, it was crazy how many folks were out of the office the first 3 weeks of this year. So, we have a Frankenstein private industry boondoggle of a program that should be socialized. The Medicare drug buyers were required to pay much more than the VA people, and, of course, Canada, as a welfare handout for the pharma industry. The drugstores aren't ready for prime time. Nor are most doctors. And the senior citizens who don't have cranky, concealed carry children to help them are doing without. Way to Katrina senior health care, Dubya.