Had lunch with a friend whose mother signed up for medicare prescription

[still_one]

plan. By signing up for the plan she is paying 600 dollars a year more than if she didn't sign up for it

[Warpy]

1. That's a given

The only seniors who might do well are the "young old" from 65-70 who are in relatively good health and have few prescriptions.

The people who need the help the most are going to be screwed over by both Big Pill and Big Insurance, just the way the GOP likes it.

[MrModerate]

3. Actually, they don't care whether people get screwed or not . . .

As long as their pockets are picked. Very pragmatic, those 'Licans.

[ananda]

2. Oh geez, I hate to say this..

Now see?

Every fucking senior in the USA should have known this was going to happen.
I did, and I'm not a senior yet.

It wasn't that difficult to figure out from the beginning.

If people vote for Bush..

If they don't bother to get the facts..

If they truly believe in Big Daddy...

They will get shitsquat.

Sue

[catmother]

5. i did too. and i am a senior (64) but still covered under my

husband's insurance.

[RebelOne]

18. I'm 67 but still working full-time, mainly because

I have excellent health insurance through my employer, which includes eye and dental care. I'm also collecting social security, but I can't live on just that alone, so I'm trying to work long enough to build up more money in my 401K.

[catmother]

19. that seems to be the case with many seniors. i just commented

to my husband last night that when i was getting my cold cuts the woman who helped me was obviously a senior -- she was overweight and walked with a limp. i'm sure she wasn't working because she wanted too. and she was so pleasant. i see this all the time and i feel terrible for these people. so many people had jobs which did not include a pension. i would be in the same situation if it weren't for my husband. i've been disabled for a number of years and i get SSDI. it's a nice amount, but not enough to live on. it also has made me eligible for medicare which i don't need because his insurance is better.

may you have continued good health and more financial security.

[Hissyspit]

6. Lots of AARP members were angry at their sell-out to Bushco.

So, many did know, but we again and again get steam-rolled by the Rethug-led government.

[Cleita]

11. Yes, but why do those of us seniors who did see it have to

suffer? Frankly, most seniors I know are pretty savvy about this and I don't think that many of them voted for Bush. It's the damn election was stolen and our Congress compromised us by signing this into law. They should have really fought this and they didn't because their gold plated health care wasn't affected. Not only that our Senior advocate group AARP has been infiltrated by Repukes and they sold us down the river.

[tsuki]

15. Every senior I know voted Bush, but then most are retired military

and get their meds free from the base. They have little concern with anything other than how much their cost of living increase will be. They are definitely an "I got mine, too bad for you" group. I cannot seem to convince them that the Republican agenda is 'next,' and since the Republicans are running out of groups to screw, that they will be soon be at the head of the queue.

[sandnsea]

22. Tricare to double premiums

I just read a snippet on it the other day. Not all retired military get service on bases anymore, or even active military. If they pass the Tricare increases, these folks will understand pretty soon.

[tsuki]

24. Most that I know are Tricare for Life. No premiums.

(Don't forget, I am an old person.)

[sandnsea]

25. "Enrollment fees"

Excuse me, not premiums, enrollment fees.

"Defense officials want annual enrollment fees for TriCare Prime, the military’s managed care plan, to triple by October 2008 for working-age retired officers, from $230/$460 a year (individual/family coverage) up to $750/ $1,500, and to double, to $450/ $900, for under-65 enlisted retirees."


http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/military/story/5430699p-4904868c.html

[tsuki]

26. No enrollment fees for TriCare for Life. TriCare for Life was the

result of a lawsuit against the Feds for Korean War era enlistees.

[still_one]

16. this particular senior voted for Kerry

[RebelOne]

17. Same here. Just because you are over 60 doesn't mean

you are a Bush lover.

[peaches2003]

4. ???

Do you mean that she is paying $600 in premiums, but that should be made up with savings on prescriptions? Or do you mean that she is going to be paying $600 more (premiums less drug savings = $600) than if she hadn't signed up at all.

In that case, WHY the heck did she sign up for this plan?

[Zen Democrat]

7. That doesn't make any sense. She could just pay the regular price.

Not use the card at all. There aren't any monthly premiums that high.

It's a confusing system with about 50 plans to choose from with various co-pays, premiums, drugs covered, etc. A real mess. But, I can't imagine how this would cost anyone that much more than not participating at all. My parents pay a monthly premium of about $10.50 a month each, and then their medicine is much cheaper than full price at the pharmacy.

Part D is confusing, and makes Medicare look bad, but I don't see how one could "lose" $600 a year in it.

What the seniors needed was a single plan, one single plan that would cover all the drugs at a significant discount, without "premiums", and deductibles (that some plans require).

[SmokingJacket]

8. Some people could lose money, because some drugs aren't covered.

In fact, entire families of drugs aren't covered. You sign up for it, then suddenly discover the particular drugs you take aren't in the program.

Lots of people are showing up at their pharmacies and going home with no drugs, or paying for them out of pocket.

[SoCalDem]

23. enrolees can only change once a year, but pharma can add or remove

drugs at will, and can increase prices for the drugs..

It;s a lose/lose for most elders:(

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. You're right. Seniors just need a discount. Say, 50% off all meds

But then drug companies wouldn't make the profits they expect to make off seniors with this deceptive and evil plan.

[kayice]

14. Actually....

they are because just like they did with the discount drug cards they raised the drug prices for EVERYONE; they are doing the same again. This means the millions and millions of Americans that don't have any health ins. at all pay the price along with the ones a portion. (Some of my meds went up $40 right before the discount cards came out, the old hike the price up before we put it on sale deal.)Dubya is Big Pharma's best friend.

[catmother]

20. and the drugs that most seniors take are very expensive, i.e.,

lipitor, blood pressure meds and i know some take 3 or 4 different drugs. i know that the blood pressure meds are necessary but i wonder about cholestoral lowering drugs like lipitor. i have heard of many people who have low cholestoral having heart attacks. my husband just told me a story of a guy he used to work with -- seemed to be in perfect health -- was at the gym exercising and passed out -- it was his heart.

i have had high cholestrol for years -- certainly not because of diet or lack of exercise. i don't eat fats and eat very little meat. i took lipitor for about 5 weeks but got pains in my legs and back that were so bad i couldn't sleep. i stopped it and told my doctor i wasn't going to worry about it anymore. there's something called a homosysteine (sp?) level which for the last few years researchers have been saying that that is the problem not cholestrol. my homosysteine is low so i'm not going to fret over the cholestrol anymore. i'm not saying that people should stop taking their drugs. it's a personal decision that i have made.

[napi21]

9. Here's another story about this "new" benefit!

My cousin is considered disabled because he is blind (from diabetes) and had a pancreas transplant five years ago. He & huis wife are living in subsidized housing, and since he's a degreed psycholigist, he works about 3 days a week to suplement his disability payment. His health insurance is $1,637 per month.

He checked on all the %& options with this new medicare partD coverage, hoping he might be able to save a little $$. The initial plan sounded better than what he had, until he checked the DETAILS. Seems there are many small addon fees for almost everything. $20 here, and $35 there. None sound like a lot individually, but when he calculated everything together, the new "BENEFUT" would cost about $85 more than he's paying in the private sector NOW!

I'm really scared! I'm 63 and hubby is 64. We will be facing all this BS very soon!

Damn it, I've always voted Dem. I can only hope enough people learn just how bad things really are between now and Nov. 2006 and make some major changes!!!!!!

[AndyTiedye]

12. How Many People Would That Take?

I can only hope enough people learn just how bad things really are between now and Nov. 2006 and make some major changes!!!!!!

They flipped 30% of the vote in Ohio last November.

Even if their wingnut fundie base is only 20% of the voters, that may be all they need to "win" now.


We don't care what you think. We don't have to.

[OneBlueSky]

13. I can beat that . . . I'll be paying $200/month more . . .

thanks, all you folks in DC . . . assholes! . . .

[Sarah Ibarruri]

21. Single-payer med insurance for everyone except the rich

How does that sound? Determine what the cut-offs are, and that's that.