[Wright is right!]

The net result of this bill will be a PRIVATIZATION of the drug benny. WHY?

The insurance industry will rush in to offer MediGap policies that make it cheaper for seasoned citizens to buy those policies rather than accept the Mediscare plan. After all, you can't have BOTH MediGap AND the Mediscare drug plan. The insurance folks would rather come up with a more attractive but less profitable MediGap drug plan than sell no policies at all. The Medicare drug plan will end up covering only those who are completely uninsurable. All the rest will find private insurance more affordable. The bottom line will likely be LESS money spent on prescription drug benefits by Mediscare.

It's actually a good approach. Which is why Teddy Kennedy is so rabidly against it.

Michael

[NittanyLion]

Interesting take. That's the first realistic scenario I've seen whereby this bill might lead to privatization. (The bill's privatization component itself is virtually nonexistant, and the parts that do exist are weak)