Bush acknowledges problems in drug plan's rollout

Reuters ^ | 2-11-06 | Caren Bohan

[lysie]

Mark for the discussion.

[Wasanother]

It's been less than 45 days. Every new program has glitches.

[winston2]

The program, estimated to cost $678 billion over the next 10 years, relies on private insurers, pharmacies and other health care companies to provide drug coverage for Medicare's 42 million beneficiaries.

I have nothing against our senior citizens, but I have a big beef with us becoming a nanny state to the Nth-degree.
This is opening the flood gates for pharmaceutical companies to clean us to the bone.

[sine_nomine]

My experience. It was a bear getting enrolled. I think I spent two months studying plans and trying to get one going (Humana). Humana's servers could not keep up so we had to listen to an endless series of statements and say yes to them. We had no choice, really. The former plan cost $300 per month for drugs under Medicare and did not have a D plan to join.

Then I had to unjoin the drug plan for my wife. That was also tedious and taking place in late December. Humana said the best time to phone was just before they closed each day, 11 PM. The other plan was just as bad in getting an intelligent contact. One illiterate answered the phone and said, "Your wife has not been in the plan for two years." Strange, I was being billed a hefty sum each month for the plan she wasn't in. And the plan she wasn't in was paying the bills.

Current experience. The first day Humana did not register on the drugstore computer, so I billed the old plan, which still worked. The D took over. My wife has a lot of prescriptions so there are a lot of $30 and $60 co-pays. Overall it is costing us less in January than it did last year. We got the hefties plan Humana offered and it seemed more inclusive than the others.

One essayist thought that Medicare D in introducing competition will change things for the better. I am no expert. I favor competition in all areas of our socialized medicine, but I believe government intervention will continue to make a mess of it.

[goodnesswins]

I'm looking for an INCENTIVE to stay OFF "drugs."

[Indy Pendance]

I agree, the gov shouldn't be in the medical/insurance/retirement business at all.

[winston2]

I agree, the gov shouldn't be in the medical/insurance/retirement business at all.

I'm looking for an INCENTIVE to stay OFF "drugs."

Ahhhhhhhh!

The refreshing breeze of common sense.

[Indy Pendance]

The problem is, it's there, and it'll take a long time to get rid of those programs.

[rikkir]

I know this is anecdotal, but every one I know involved is either lost or pi$$ed. This monstrosity is causing insurance companies to stop or reduce coverage.
A woman I work with is going to have a $300 dollar a month increase in the cost of her husbands meds. She was getting some of these from a pharmaceutical company through one of those low income programs, that is ending. My Father in law, who retired with great coverage, is losing it for this. His costs are going up $5-600. I see nothing but a huge new bureaucracy, and medical costs increasing for those of us not on the government teat.
I personally see this as the most shameful event of President Bush's term, followed closely by campaign finance reform. The saddest part being, if we had to have it, (I don't think we did) it could have been done so much better.
It is really depressing to think about what I'm going to have to go through to get my meds when I retire. I'm in my 40's now, and am already on meds I will take for the rest of my life. Without insurance they cost $300 per month. How much of my retirement income will I have to put aside to cover them, when up until a year ago I could have kept an private insurance policy to handle it all.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The problem is that Bush should have never proposed such a harebrained idea in the first place.

Medicare should be phased out.

[Indy Pendance]

" I personally see this as the most shameful event of President Bush's term"

I couldn't agree more, this is going to be disaster.

[fabriclady]

I don't know what all the complaining is about. I am 70 and I took the best program I could get. It cost a few more dollars a month than I was paying. But who cares. I am sure the ones complaining are willing to pay a higher price for beer and designer shoes. Most women will pay for a special $100.00 make up and never blink an eye. So what, enjoy your wealth and pay your way.

And, don't forget, our grandchildren will help pay for anything we get.
I don't want my grandchildren to pay for my drugs.

The 65+ population own about 67% of our nations wealth, yet they want hand outs. If you have failed to save enough to live on, that is not a problem our grandchildren should have to pay for.

I have a lot more I could say, but I will get a blast for this.

[Indy Pendance]

On the bright side...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1576781/posts

[Indy Pendance]

I can't fault you, you are just using what's being offered. Nevertheless, it should never have been implemented. Our governemnt shouldn't be in this type of business.

[NormsRevenge]

We all know how expert the gubamint is at "fixing things". ;-)

[Indy Pendance]

So should social security. We should expect smaller government. I'm really getting tired of this socialist nation. And it's only getting worse.

[rikkir]

"On the bright side..."

Yeah, that is good news. Let's really drive the moonbats crazy, take the money from the sale of this land, and turn it into tax breaks for the oil companies to build new refineries. Heh heh heh.

[billbears]

The problem is, it's there, and it'll take a long time to get rid of those programs.

And who exactly do you suggest will get rid of it? The Democrats? They'll just expand it more. The Republicans? Don't make me laugh. Until a third party becomes viable (which it eventually will if not for anything but necessity) neither one of the government's parties will dare touch this.

But keep voting Republican. Remember...they're the ones for limited government.

[Indy Pendance]

Elect me as your dictator for 12 months. I'll clean up big government!