Bush acknowledges problems in drug plan's rollout (Reuters)

[Up2Late]

("Bush acknowledges problems..." is amazing in and of it's self, but the problem is that, we need to start INSISTING on specifics of how he or the RWers in the Congress are going to FIX this, we can't keep letting them off the hook on stuff like this in 2006!)

Bush acknowledges problems in drug plan's rollout

Sat Feb 11, 2006 01:46 PM ET

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Saturday acknowledged problems in the start of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit for the elderly but said the government was working to fix them. In his weekly radio address, he also insisted the program was a "good deal" for seniors and encouraged more to sign up.

Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled Americans have run into difficulties getting their prescription drugs since the Medicare drug program began on January 1, and many were turned away empty-handed. Several states stepped in to pay for the medications after people were not properly enrolled or were randomly assigned to plans that did not include the drugs they needed.

Bush said the program, which he has touted as a major modernization of a popular government program, was working well for many seniors. "Still, when you make a big change in a program involving millions of people, there are bound to be some challenges, and this has been the case with the new drug coverage," he said.

"Some people had trouble the first time they went to the pharmacy after enrolling. Information for some beneficiaries was not transferred smoothly between Medicare, drug plans and the states," Bush said, adding that waiting times were far too long when people sought help. 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.

(more at link below)

<http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=11179941&src=rss/topNews>

[onehandle]

1. Crappy deal.

My elderly mother who has voted Republican since 1980 says she will not be voting for Republicans this Fall.

This "plan" has been a costly nightmare for her.

[sallyseven]

2. Please dar god do not

let him and his henchmen fix Medicare D. They will make it worse and end up killing the elderly that have to use it.

[Up2Late]

3. Talk about mixed feelings, I'm sorry that it's been such a nightmare...

...for her, but I'm glad to hear that this may change her vote.

My immediate family are all lifelong Democrats, and my Aunt and Uncle and my Cousins who aren't, this won't effect.

I hope you will continue to remind her that the Congressional Democrats were almost completely shutout of this process. :evilfrown:

[ccjlld]

4. Another of his problems with this program

Is that several states, including ours (MO) are going to be suing the Federal Government for being required to pay for a program they have no control over.

http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2006/feb/20060206news001.asp

[wellst0nev0ter]

8. No Mixed Feelings Here

when you know the plan will be a fiasco from the start. You won't see me apologizing for Bush's fuckups.

[f-bush]

5. Srub needs to acknowledge that he's a total failure!

[f-bush]

6. That should have read...shrub!

[Up2Late]

7. FYI, you can edit your own post for several minutes when you...

...notice something like that typo, I do it all the time. I'm not sure how long you have for editing, but I'm always finding typos in my own posts that I usually can and do fix. B-)

[f-bush]

9. Thanks