NYT:Lottery Planned for Test of Medicare's New Drug Coverage

[DeepModem Mom]

Lottery Planned for Test of Medicare's New Drug Coverage
By ROBERT PEAR

Published: June 25, 2004


WASHINGTON, June 24 - The Bush administration announced Thursday that it would conduct a lottery to select 50,000 people who will receive Medicare coverage of prescription drugs in the next 18 months, before drug coverage becomes available to all Medicare beneficiaries in 2006.

The lottery is part of an unusual experiment to test the new benefit among people with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and a few other diseases.

In authorizing the experiment, Congress provided $500 million. Forty percent of the money, or $200 million, is earmarked for oral cancer drugs that patients can take on their own, as a replacement for drugs they receive by injection or infusion in a doctor's office.

Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of health and human services, said that 500,000 to 600,000 people might be eligible to compete for the 50,000 slots....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/politics/25drug.html

[SoCalDem]

1. Just what repubes love...competition...

just what the oldsters DON'T need..

Spin the whhel Granny..maybe you'll be lucky and will "win" the opportunity to get your meds..:eyes:

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. It goes much further than that.

Republicans don't really meet objectives. What they do is minimize them. It doesn't take brains to do that. Their lack of attentiveness to social issues help create the shortages. The lottery is a salve to let the rich and powerful feel like they've done all they can do. They should move out and let the Democrats, who really showed a passion for taking care of people who were in need, take over. Democrats ARE the real Christians. Their political agenda was all about compassion.

[saigon68]

3. A lottery to Live ??

apparently used to be--- only in works of science fiction

DISGUSTING

[DeepModem Mom]

4. "unusual experiment" --

These people truly take the cake.

[happynewyear]

5. The lottery is part of an unusual experiment to test the new benefit

The lottery is part of an unusual experiment to test the new benefit among people with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and a few other diseases.

oh joy ...

might the reality of this be, to identify and then perhaps test the drug program on people with the above named disease? I'll tell you one thing, * isn't getting me luckily as I fit into this category and am on Medicare. I am also thankfully insured via a supplement to Medicare policy which has an RX drug program tacked on to it.

For those that don't, I can only say that I hope you get picked only if you have no other insurance to help pay for drugs.

I have a jaundiced eye toward everything this man says and does. What is the reality of any of it and that is if it ever actually happens?

:dem: :kick:

[lumpy]

6. Elderly human guinea pigs?

Lotteries? What next?

[donsu]

7. this is obscene!

Nazi bastards.

win the lottery and maybe live, come on, take a gamble.

if the elderly in america don't raise up in anger over this one, then we deserve what the Nazi dish out.

how many black do you think will win this lottery? they rig elections; they will rig this too.

[yellowcanine]

8. Determining Access to Prescription Coverage Using a Lottery?????

You really can't make this shit up. So "sorry, Granny, but you will just have to suffer - you can't afford the prescription and your name wasn't drawn. Take a couple of aspirin and come back next month - maybe you will get lucky." Unbelievable. Ka chink! Another "key" turns in Florida against Bush.

[cmutt]

9. how can it be more absurd than this?

Do we put our social security numbers on a scap and paper and throw them in a hat? Do we get to spin-a-wheel? Perhaps we can trade in a month of social security benefits to double-down? This is asinine! It's in-humain! Compassionate-conservative my ass. I'd be embarassed if my administration resulted to something so crude! How can these people sleep at night?

[progressivebydesign]

10. THIS, somehow just put me over the top!!

LOTTERY??? LOTTERY FOR LIFE-SAVING FUCKING MEDICATIONS??????????????????????????? 50,000 are "LUCKY" enough to get meds?? While the other 500,000 die? WHAT kind of CRUEL, GREEDY BASTARDS are running this country??? This story needs to be kicked. I really hate that weasel Thompson describing those of us that complain as being negative.. 'getting a donught and complaining about the hole'. At LEAST the people in his cruel metaphor actually GOT the whole DONUT! According to the REpublican Controlled CONGRESS all the "losers" in the lottery get is the HOLE!!! :grr:

[msanthrope]

11. Corn in June, Lottery Soon???

Wasn't that the chant of the townspeople in "The Lottery"?

[prolesunited]

12. This is indescribably sick

How will they spin this as sound policy?

I know! Perhaps they could do a reality TV show in which dying people beg for their lives and the audience gets to vote on who lives. :puke:

[LibDemAlways]

13. What you've described sounds like

the old "Queen for a Day" tv show from the 50's in which poor women told their sad stories to the host. The audience then determined by an "applause-o-meter" who was the most pathetic. The lucky "winner" wore a robe and a crown and usually received a washing machine. Horrible.

This lottery crap is even worse. Repukes have no shame at all.