States Take Action As Medicare Falters

[deadparrot]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas and Illinois have joined about half a dozen other states taking emergency measures to help residents struggling to get prescriptions filled under the new Medicare drug program.

Gov. Mike Huckabee declared a public health emergency in Arkansas on Wednesday and announced the state would provide short-term aid to pharmacies to help get medicines filled.

"It's become apparent that there are a number of people in our state, particularly the elderly and the most frail, who are in a life-or-death risk over getting medication," Huckabee said.

Illinois officials sent notices to pharmacies Wednesday detailing where to call if Medicare patients can't get medicine. If the problem can't be resolved by phone, pharmacists will be allowed to bill the state for the cost of the drugs, officials said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/medicare_drugs

[Zenlitened]

1. Hmmm.... I don't think it's an accident that this thing is such a mess

Kind of handy how it makes the repukes' point that "big government can't handle" these things.

:puke:

[rodeodance]

2. no, i think the adm. wants a smooth course. this pub. is not doing them

any good--not after they blew Katrina.

[jwirr]

5. I don't agree - this was their big show case for prioritizing by

including at least 41 companies as options and most of them private. They want to put everything in the hands of privately owned business and this mess just goes to show that privatization is not the answer to all problems. What they have done is place the elderly and the seriously ill into the position of a blind person walking down the breakfast food aisle in the grocery store searching for the most wholesome breakfast food. For many of us they have not even provided information on the available programs we were supposed to select before Jan. 1. bushie is the worst ceo in the nation. No wonder he has failed at everything in his life.

[Zenlitened]

6. But one look at this "plan" and anyone with three or more functioning...

... brain cells could see it's a mess. So why proceed with it in the first place? The Bushistas thrive on chaos, thrive on confusion, and this seems like just another example.

[LostinVA]

10. The point is, big government isn't handling this

It's privatized. THis is so gonna backfire.

[Canadian_moderate]

3. I was laughing at an add the other day

It was by Aetna and it encouraged seniors to call them to see if they need prescription drug insurance.

No biased answers of course. I can just imagine the answers.

I was in PA last week and people there were confused as hell with something like 65 different options avaialble to them. Even younger people (adult children of seniors) had trouble understanding the options.

Luckily we don't have to worry about that shit where I live.

[anitar1]

4. No surprises here. They never intended to make this a

working program. The usual Bfee lying Bs. Whatever they say--look for the opposite and you have the truth.I was enrolled in a program that was NOT what I had requested. Their recommended pharmacies were

WalMart, Target and Albertsons. It sounded as if those were the only choices you had. After calling and raving and ranting about this. I found out that I can still go to my local ,small pharmacy.I will never go to freakin' Walmart or any of the other corporate pharmacies.I love my little pharmacy and the real people who work there and know their customers.They also deliver and are only a mile from my home.

[OKNancy]

7. kick

[Pirate Smile]

8. WP:The States Step In As Medicare Falters(SeniorsTurned Away, Overcharged)

The States Step In As Medicare Falters
Seniors Being Turned Away, Overcharged Under New Prescription Drug Program

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2006; Page A01

Two weeks into the new Medicare prescription drug program, many of the nation's sickest and poorest elderly and disabled people are being turned away or overcharged at pharmacies, prompting more than a dozen states to declare health emergencies and pay for their life-saving medicines.

Computer glitches, overloaded telephone lines and poorly trained pharmacists are being blamed for mix-ups that have resulted in the worst of unintended consequences: As many as 6.4 million low-income seniors, who until Dec. 31 received their medications free, suddenly find themselves navigating an insurance maze of large deductibles, co-payments and outright denial of coverage.


Pharmacist Rich Harvie fills a prescription in Montpelier, Vt. Medicare's drug program has been beset by problems. (By Toby Talbot -- Associated Press)

Yesterday, Ohio and Wisconsin announced that they will cover the drug costs of low-income seniors who would otherwise go without, joining every state in New England as well as California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Jersey.

"This new prescription drug plan was supposed to be a voluntary program to help people who didn't have coverage," said Jeanne Finberg, a lawyer for the National Senior Citizens Law Center. "All this is doing is harming the people who had coverage -- America's most vulnerable citizens."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/13/AR2006011301738.html

[Pirate Smile]

9. more

"Hailed as President Bush's signature domestic achievement, the program, which began Jan. 1, offers drug coverage for the first time to 43 million elderly and disabled Americans eligible for Medicare. At the same time, 6.4 million low-income beneficiaries who were receiving their medications through state Medicaid plans were switched into Medicare for their drug benefits and told they would not be charged the standard $250 deductible or co-payments.

But interviews with two dozen people -- state officials, pharmacists, advocates for seniors, and Medicare clients -- revealed a host of problems. Many poor seniors were never enrolled or were enrolled in plans that do not cover their medications. Others received multiple insurance cards, creating confusion at the pharmacies. Some were charged the deductible and unaffordable co-payments. And some, such as Laurine League, left empty-handed.

"For years I've had no problems, going to the same pharmacy," said League, 49, a Queens, N.Y., woman with severe mental illness. "The pharmacist told me one drug was going to cost $198. I don't have that kind of money."

The states that have stepped in to help have already incurred several million dollars in unexpected drug bills, but Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said he did not have the authority to reimburse them. He urged states, pharmacists and providers to work with his agency to collect reimbursements from insurance companies administering the prescription program."

[Toots]

11. America you should be very ashamed of yourself

Any country that neglects it's citizens for the sake of plunder is not worthy of being...

[MessiahRp]

12. The States Step In As Medicare Falters

The States Step In As Medicare Falters
Seniors Being Turned Away, Overcharged Under New Prescription Drug Program

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2006; Page A01

Two weeks into the new Medicare prescription drug program, many of the nation's sickest and poorest elderly and disabled people are being turned away or overcharged at pharmacies, prompting more than a dozen states to declare health emergencies and pay for their life-saving medicines.

-snip-

Yesterday, Ohio and Wisconsin announced that they will cover the drug costs of low-income seniors who would otherwise go without, joining every state in New England as well as California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Jersey.

-snip-

Hailed as President Bush's signature domestic achievement, the program, which began Jan. 1, offers drug coverage for the first time to 43 million elderly and disabled Americans eligible for Medicare. At the same time, 6.4 million low-income beneficiaries who were receiving their medications through state Medicaid plans were switched into Medicare for their drug benefits and told they would not be charged the standard $250 deductible or co-payments.

-snip-

"All of the worst predictions came true," said Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center. Many of the thousands of callers contacting the center said they were being told that the insurance plan they were assigned by the federal government does not cover their medications, he said.

Read On: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/13/AR2006011301738.html

[salin]

13. This makes me so ANGRY

add to this the under-reported phenom of retirees being kicked off of their benefits and told they have only two options - the govt (f-ed up program) or NO coverage.

But the GOP congress who let industry write the plan, and then twisted arms while holding the vote open an unprecedent three hours, can't be bothered to come back to town to do anything about it?

DISGUSTING.

[MessiahRp]

14. I agree...

I find the line that this is Bush's signature program and that it has fucked up in every possible way to be quite telling also...

Rp

[NYC]

15. Hailed as President Bush's signature domestic achievement...

Hailed as President Bush's signature domestic achievement...

Just emphasizing.

[Zeke]

16. WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL...

When Sc-alito gets confirmed, he'll
quickly vote to give Bush more spying
power and will uphold more powers
for Bush when Bush says I NEED TO
ABOLISH MEDICARE & SOC. SEC.---NEED
THE FUNDS MONEY---TO FIGHT TERRORISTS.

[kurth]

17. Everything the asshole touches turns to shit

Just the latest clusterfuck from the dumb fuck and his worshipful followers in Congress...

And all we can do is watch??

[salin]

18. I have read seperate stories from states

NY, MA, CA, RI, IL, AR all having to take action. That was just on a quick googlenews glance. Given the broad scope of the problem (geographically) wouldn't this qualify as a crisis?

[salin]

19. from WaPo story add: ND, SD, NJ and PA

as also taking emergency actions.

[salin]

20. add AZ, WI, NV

to the list of states taking action ... are we at national crisis yet?

[salin]

21. add NH, ME, VT, Conn

national crisis yet? http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/MedicareDrugCards/6-01-11-GovernorsTakeAction.htm

[salin]

22. Ohio and Oregon

those were all the hits on just the first two pages of a news.google search - I am sure more states are likely to have to take action as well.

But Denny is keeping the House of Reps out of commission until the end of the month.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. Just another form of eugenics....a pseudo-science championed by....

...Prescott Bush and other wealthy U. S. elites that later became the foundation of the Nazi's Final Solution.