This damn Medicare bill has so many suffering....Central Florida mess.

[madfloridian]

This has been a truly awful time for those who have been getting their prescriptions partially paid for by the pharmaceutical companies. They are being forced onto new drug plans, and many are NOT getting their medicine.



Susan Paskert moves about with her walker in her home in Lakeland on Friday. When she couldn’t afford her medicines, she had to suffer with the symptoms of her multiple sclerosis

Some Medicare Patients Caught in Limbo

LAKELAND -- Six days into Medicare Part D, Lakeland resident Susan Paskert was out of two multiple-sclerosis medicines and running low on others.

Pharmacies were willing to fill her prescriptions, but the co-payments they quoted ranged from $56 to $335 per medicine. Paskert, on disability, couldn't begin to afford that.

She did without -- suffering symptoms the drugs could control -- until problems could get resolved in her transfer from Medicaid drug coverage to low-income assistance combined with a Medicare Part D drug plan.

Confused by the changes in government funding? So are Paskert and other Polk residents who had difficulty when they tried to get prescriptions under Medicare Part D.

About 8,000 people in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties -- enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid because of their low incomes -- had to make the switch out of Medicaid.

And this part broke my heart. She should NOT have had to go without her medicine in this once great country.

From a glorious month in which a drug newly prescribed for her had increased the strength in her left side, she said she returned to weakness in the left hand and a dragging left foot.

"It's like she never had Copaxone to begin with," Shaw said.

[melody]

1. I know many people in the same straits

This is utterly obnoxious. Is this what the bully boys in the far-right want? People with MS to suffer so that they can afford their green fees more easily? I'm only middle-class and I'd be willing to pay more taxes to make sure this doesn't happen.

[asjr]

3. Pharmaceutical companies' profits will be

right up there with the oil companies windfall profits. This is what it is really about--not helping seniors or ones on disability. The pharms jacked up their prices--some almost 100% right before the Medicare-D went in to effect. The administration cares not one whit that people will suffer. This program should be scrapped.

[melody]

5. It's all petrochemical profits, earned by the same bastards n/t

[Rainscents]

2. I am so upset over this shit too.

[madfloridian]

4. The drugstores are so crowded, they are making huge mistakes.

They knew all this was coming, and they should have hired on extra people. CVS made two mistakes in our prescriptions this month already. We always check, and good we did. They refilled one prescription twice as well.

This is a horrible situation.

[madfloridian]

6. Many google pages on this.

Drug plan's start called 'nightmare'

The first week of 2006 may go down as the nightmare that Medicare wrought after the government's prescription drug plan got off to a scary start for pharmacists and seniors across the Ozarks.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060107/NEWS01/601070358


Medicare Drug Plan Hits Snags in State

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/consumer/la-na-medicare7jan07,1,1374295.story?coll=la-health-consumer-news

WASHINGTON — California health officials reported Friday that database errors and overloaded telephone help lines were spreading confusion and frustration among seniors seeking vital medicines under the new Medicare prescription program.

And so many more. This makes me furious.

[Dr.Phool]

7. People are going to die because of this bill.

Many, many more will suffer needlessly.

[jbnow]

8. They use a funny example

with the MS drugs. This lady's problem is the low-income assistance being slow to kick in.

The cut off point for that is about 14,000 per year for a single person. Many people on SS disability have a slightly higher income then that and are not eligible.

They mention Copaxone specifically. That's one of 4 possible injectable drugs for MS. Some are daily, some weekly, some a few times a week. Oddly all cost the same amount, over $1,000 per month.

The companies have assistance programs for the uninsured. People eligible for Medicare D will no longer qualify for their assistance programs.

So lets say a person who gets 17,000 a year wants to take one of these (though doctors have to get special approval for them first). Besides their premiums (25 month) and the 1st $250 they will then pay 25% for the drug...over $250 a month more. In about 4 months they will get to the donut hole, having spent over $2,300. Then they are to pay $1,000 a month the next three months.

That is easily done by not paying for your house or food or heat of course.

So while it's tough this lady had to wait there will be a lot more ladies who will just have to go off the drug. It will become financially impossible.

I think she is crediting the wrong drug for the month she felt better though. The expensive MS injectable drugs do not make you feel better, in fact the side effects can make you feel worse. They do not treat symptoms. They reduce the odds of new attacks by about 30% which would theoretically slow the speed of decline.

They are like a new age snake oil really or at least if I sell snake oil I will use the basic premise that makes everyone take it.

"Buy my factor X. An essential drug for just 11 slim 100 dollar bills a month. You won't get better, you might feel worse, you might even get worse. But never ever stop buying it or you will never know how much worse you can be.
Just give me 11 slim 1000 dollar bills every 4 weeks forever and ever or you might be really sorry"

Of course that is beside the point.

[madfloridian]

9. It is beside the point because people can die.

Until they get the kinks worked out some elderly will die because they have no recourse, they get confused, and they have no way to get help.

BTW unless you have MS don't be critical.

[jbnow]

10. BTW I do

have MS. Diagnosed in 1983.

What I was saying was beside the point was my opinion of the MS drugs.

This drug plan is a horror. I just found the example odd because while people who are lower income do have to wait people with just a little more that take expensive drugs are really screwed. They lose assistance from the drug companies and there is no way they can afford it once the plan is in effect.

It's because I have MS and know many people losing it all that I do know this.

[madfloridian]

12. I see your point now.

And sorry about your illness. The whole thing is a big mess, and many will be hurt. Those on new and experimental drugs will be hurt badly.

[madfloridian]

11. At least 4 states have intervened in such cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/08/national/08medicare.html?hp&ex=1136696400&en=3a69a33e5124a620&ei=5094&partner=homepage

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 - Low-income Medicare beneficiaries around the country were often overcharged, and some were turned away from pharmacies without getting their medications, in the first week of Medicare's new drug benefit. The problems have prompted emergency action by some states to protect their citizens.

Although there are no hard numbers, concerns expressed by state officials and complaints from pharmacists suggest a widespread pattern of problems. At least four states - Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont - acted this week to make sure poor people received the drugs they were promised but could not obtain through the federal Medicare program.

In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, signed an executive order authorizing the state to pay drug claims that he said should have been covered by Medicare. Republican leaders of the state legislature called a special session to provide the money. The start of the Medicare drug program "has been a nightmare for many of our citizens," Governor Lynch said. (Good for NH)

"Many are being charged unaffordable co-payments for prescription drugs - co-pays much higher than they are supposed to be. Too many of them are leaving pharmacies without their prescriptions."

This statement from a spokesman for Humana sounds arrogant:

"Thomas T. Noland Jr., a spokesman for Humana Inc., a major national insurer, said that some problems were "to be expected in a new program with lots of new enrollment taking effect all at once."

That is a lot of baloney, Mr. Noland. There has been plenty of time to plan.

[zippy890]

13. this plan is F***KED - lots of people falling between the cracks

I work in a public elderly low-income building. so many people are getting screwed under this plan, 1 woman i talked to said she will have to pay $1000 more for her drugs in the next few months.

many others can't get answers to their questions, pharmacy phone lines are jammed,

chaos & confusion reigns once again under bush's government!!

and its the low income people getting f***ked once again.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[kayice]

16. I barely qualified for extra help...

after skipping and struggling to pay for my meds for so long, praying I would qualify and basically getting treated like scum, waiting forever for an answer even though I filled out forms as soon as they were sent out....finally I found out I qualified. I still don't have my card and had to wait for 3 hours at the pharmacy and explain things to them.

I do know they have already jacked the price of meds since I filled a script on Dec. 30th, just like they did with the discount cards. Everyone pays the price, most of all the poor and uninsured.

It was my understanding, that if you didn't qualify for the extra help--the assistance programs would cont. to help. That was what the letter said I received from the PPA that helped me on one of my meds, (couldn't help on the other 5).

I understand what it is to be dirt poor but just not quite 'poor enough'. God bless.

[tedzbear]

14. I have a schizophrenic friend who couldn't get his meds this week...

He suffered uncontrolled symptoms for four days until he came up with the $ to purchase MOST of his prescriptions. He was caught unaware that his old MediCal benefit is kaput and he must enroll in the new Medicare Plan D. Now he has to cover its 25% co-pay (which he can't even begin to afford by the way).

He is on SSI and has just begun a part time job. His symptoms were so bad yesterday he was afraid to show up for work.

I also get Medicare and I have to switch from ADAP to Medicare Part D. My life saving HIV meds cost $4,000 a month and supposedly ADAP will pay my 25% co-pay and 100% of the "donut hole." The scary thing is that Medicare Plan D will not credit me for ADAP's payments. This means where most patient's go from the "donut hole" to 95% coverage, I will not. Once I hit the "donut hole" I will have to pay 100% of my prescription costs for the rest of the year.

ADAP's letter says it will pay "most" of this 100% but it does not explain what "most" means. I am still waiting for their follow up letter which was supposed to come by Jan. 1.

I am really nervous.

[Imagevision]

15. And the NEW medicare is designed by the Drug companies??!!

Courtesy of the Bush administration, How much more pathetic can this be??!!

[zippy890]

17. it is a DIRECT SUBSIDY to the DRUG COMPANIES

for their overpriced medications

everybody gets ripped off - except the drug companies!

the taxpayer, the poor soul needing their medications, but there are RECORD PROFITS FOR BIG PHARMA and BIG PHARMACIES

AAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[bonito]

18. K&R n/t

[specimenfred1984]

19. Somebody Has to Say it, Because Many are Thinking It...

if they voted GOP, they deserve it. The dumbed-down and mostly bigoted GOP voters usually vote against their own interests and this is a glaring example.

Katrina relief is another example. Unfortunately for all of us in the U.S., there's going to be a lot of suffering before anything changes.

[zippy890]

20. kick this is important

and is happenning everywhere

[mom cat]

21. The companies that are getting filthy rich from this program did not

hire nearly enough people to handle the phones. The Medicare Insurence programs were not even answering their phones last week...not even the pharmacies could get through.

[Nikki Stone 1]

22. This is a travesty.

Seems like privatizing is not the answer.

Are the call centers for these companies overseas?

[mom cat]

25. They didn't set up any call centers as far as I can tell, at least not

enough.They just put on a "call back later" recording.

[Ksec]

23. It FORCES you to buy into an insurance company and pay monthly

bills. Hey , they say the needy get free stuff but its so confusing and they have to jump through so much red tape and hoops that 95% dont complete all the paperwork. Most of them just throw their hands up in surrender. Its designed that way. They can say how great it is and how much it helps the poor , while nobody is able to figure out the combination to unlock the benefits.

[madfloridian]

24. I hear the government was subsidizing some employers...

who already had drug programs for their retirees? To continue them?

I can't get verification, but some say our county was given a subsidy not to drop county retirees from the drug coverage.

I can not seem to verify. But they were going to drop their retirees, and now they are not. :shrug:

This whole thing has me flipping my lid for some of my neighbors. We have our drug coverage, but I don't trust them at all.

I feel so bad for people who don't have anyone to stand up and fight for them. Some get confused with all this stuff, and some are just getting ill from frustration.

[Dunvegan]

26. Anyone see any LTTE out there where former Republicans...

...are "getting it" because they are cut off from sustaining medications, and are steaming mad?

Or, are too many people just depressed or too ill to say anything much (which the Executive would love to be the case?)

[salin]

27. quiet issue worth discussing: people losing their benefit plans

(retirement plans) because the companies/organizations don't want to carry it anymore thus requiring seniors to participate in the medicare plan - or go without coverage at all.