WaPo (Nov. 2005) - "Medicare Drug Plan Finder: Still Waiting" - ACA Is Doing Great By Comparison

[TomCADem]

The MSM has been working overtime to pronounce the ACA dead or flawed based on the first month's experience in rolling out its website. Of course, the MSM refuses to acknowledge that thousands that have already benefited from the ACA. Likewise, the MSM willfully ignores the experience of the Bush administration in rolling out a program that was much more limited in scope:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110701415.html

The rollout of the new Medicare drug benefit has been anything but smooth.

At a news briefing yesterday, Mark B. McClellan, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, provided a how-to demonstration of the much-awaited Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder, which he said would be available on http://www.medicare.gov by 3 p.m. It wasn't.

The online interactive tool has been pitched as a high-tech way to help the 43 million Medicare beneficiaries sort through all the drug coverage choices. After seniors key in their name, birth date, the names of drugs they take and other information, the Web site spits out a personalized list of drug plans in their area ranked by annual cost.

Advocates for seniors say they expect the tool to be an indispensable aid in signing people up for this significant new government-sponsored benefit.

[Lugnut]

1. Medicare Part D was and still is a big bad joke on seniors and the disabled on Medicare.

The cheapest plan premium I found when Part D went into effect was $34 a month. Without any Part D coverage at all my three generic prescriptions would cost me $26 a month! It's ridiculous.

[PADemD]

2. Prescription costs

During Hurricane Sandy, my local pharmacy was without electricity for a week. I had to find an open pharmacy for my prescription. I was able to purchase my generic prescription, without insurance, for $4.95. Under Medicare next year, the same prescription will cost me $7.