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

[Pirate Smile]

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]

1. more - I hope they vote in 2006.

"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."

[DELUSIONAL]

2. This news isn't surprising to those of us here at DU

In fact I believe many articles and opinion pieces predicted most of these problems.

Bushie always screws up -- now he's trying to squeeze more blood out of people who have no more to give.

Will these same people remember that it was the wonderful GOP who gave them this mess -- with some of the democratic enablers?

Oh -- but the good thing is that gays can't marry. <sarcasm/off>

[TreeMonkey]

3. Where is the leadership?

Shrub is not in charge, its Rove and co who run things,,and has both house and senate. He cut education, and poor people,and is getting away with this BS insanity? He supports open borders so 1/2 of south america can waltz in and "drop anchor babies" and other FREE health care, which we 'gladly' pay for, and export thousands of middle class jobs to china and india, who then raise our gas prices? Those "cheap" chinese goods are paid for with more (unregulated) pollution from chines factories, and more lost jobs to india's high tech industry.More people wanting oil. Why go to a school for high tech in America, when india will get the jobs anyway? Then there goes our school system. Europe is 2 grades ahead of us by high school, we are becoming mentally retarded.

The Democratic Party has no business supporting open borders, and HB-1 visas for high tech workers. We need a "Buy American" campaign issue. That could be the Democratic ticket. American jobs. American Soverenty.
Illegal Immigration needs to END. We need to stop political correctness, and get some european teachers over here to teach the schools. Lots of issues, NO leadership. Big Buisiness is F*cking us over every way you look.
Where is the leadership> These issues are RIPE!

[Contrary1]

4. Big surprise here:

"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."

That's what happens when your only job qualification is having a press secretary for a brother.

The whole damn bunch is doing a heckuva a job.