Seniors struggle with drug cards

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/8737356.htm

MEDICARE:Many complain the discount cards are too complicated, confusing or don't offer significant savings.

BY MELANIE EVANS

NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER


Catherine Sampson expected the slightly anxious call from her 77-year-old mother. But when the Ely widow finally phoned to ask for help deciphering Medicare's drug discount card, Sampson told her bluntly: "Don't do anything."

Sampson, director of the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging, tried in early May to compare savings for her mother's two medications on a Medicare Web site that allows consumers to weigh the value of various discount cards.

"I gave up" in frustration, said an incredulous Sampson, whose agency provides insurance and health care counseling, referrals and assistance to seniors in seven Northeastern Minnesota counties. "It is difficult. It is too difficult for me," she said, making it unlikely she will recommend the Web site to Internet-savvy elderly clients -- or their adult children.

The experience soured Sampson on Medicare's online resource and added to her concern that the Medicare drug discount card -- which begins June 1 -- will frustrate or frighten elderly consumers who genuinely need relief from prescription-drug costs, she said.

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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Another example of Bush bait and switch

He can say, "See, I've provided drug relief for the elderly", but in reality has made it so complicated the elderly will get fleeced or will not get the card at all.

[NNN0LHI]

2. True. But the drug companies will make $Billions from our tax dollars

Always a silver lining for Bush and his cronies.

Don

[dand]

3. Seniors know that this is about pay offs to the drug industry,

they are not stupid, this will bite Bush right on his draft dodging candy ass, I am a senior living in a seniors retirement community so I know of what I speak.

[sweetladybug]

5. Bush will put the blame onto the seniors saying they are just

to stupid to know how to use the drug cards. This is what Bush and his crime family did to the black people in FL in the 2000 election. The Republicans said the blacks were just to stupid to vote properly. The Republicans say they are trying to help people but they put every obstacle in the way to prevent them from getting help.
ELECT KERRY 2004!!!!

[dand]

6. They did not fool the the Floridians then,

they wont fool the seniors now, we are on to sleasy game, ABB:toast: :bounce: :toast:

[wishlist]

4. Seniors don't know their mandatory Medicare premiums will skyrocket

this coming January to $102 from $66.60 (a 54% increase) to help pay for this whole boondoggle. They conveniently won't get letters notifying them until after the elections in November. This is the basic standard premium that is taken out of their Social Security for regular Medicare Part B. These premiums already went up 20% last January.

The worst thing is that most seniors will get nothing more out of the program in 2005 despite having $400+ more taken out of their Social Security checks next year for the increase. My mom and dad and in-laws will end up losing over $1700/yr and getting nothing in return (plus they will probably see higher premiums and reductions in their benefits from their supplemental plans too)

This whole plan is going to cost retirees millions or billions by the time it unfolds over the next couple of years. I am especially pissed because my husband and I have excellent insurance already and we wouldn't even need to sign up for Medicare Part B when we turn 65 but because of the new legislation we will probably be forced into paying over $2000/yr more for the Medicare premiums and not getting any more than what we already have. We have friends with very high drug costs who have calculated they could lose an additional $2000 to $3000/yr because they fall into that gap area of no coverage in the plan.

Plus our taxpayer dollars wasted for those PR propoganda ads put out by Bush promoting this plan that will benefit drug and insurance companies more than seniors. The lower income seniors that are touted to be helped the most by the new plan already have Medicaid helping to pay their premiums and prescription costs or other discount cards.

[nodictators]

7. And if all of the above isn't bad enough, we should remember...

...that Bu$h's Medicare schemes hand huge amounts of Medicare money to the pharmacutical companies for their willingness to sell their drugs to seniors. (HA-HA!)

I've seen estimates as high as $480 billion for the Bu$h giveaway.

I'm not sure of the accuracy of that huge number, but, if true, it would represent the cost of the giveaway over a period of years.

[Paradise]

8. Moore could make a movie of it...

"The Perfect Scam!"

[happynewyear]

9. Do you have a link to back these statements up?

I knew the cost of Medicare was going to go up again, but I had not heard this 54% figure. Is this with the cost of the card added in? Where did you get this information from btw?

Thanks.

[happynewyear]

10. kick

Would appreciate my question be answered.

Thanks to anyone that knows.

baldearg

[TahitiNut]

14. (Google is our friend.)

"The Part B (medical insurance) premium for 2004 is $66.60/mo. The premium for 2003 was $58.70/mo. This premium covers doctors' services, hospital outpatient care and other services outside hospitals."
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=226
(That's a 13.6% increase.)

"The Medicare Trustees estimated that Medicare premiums will jump a staggering 17%, or $11.50 per month -- from $66.60 in 2004 to $78.10 in 2005."
http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/102177.asp
(The Part B premium will increase more than the COLA increase, making the net payment less.)

This does not include the Part A and (new) Part D premiums.

[happynewyear]

15. THANK YOU!

I hate it when I read "rumors" as posted above.

Fact is, IF you are insured, most likely you must take the Medicare supplemental policy option. This means there is no way around being in Medicare if you qualify for it. If you don't qualify for Medicare, you'll be paying a HUGE premium for whatever insurance you might find.

I think that post above is VERY misleading, doubtlessly inaccurate and should be deleted.

Thank you again,

baldearg

[koopie57]

11. I wonder if there is a group

that protects seniors who could send out a letter explaining this before the election? But the seniors are a pretty smart group as a whole and probably do understand this.

[happynewyear]

12. I feel like no one cares

Disabled and elderly people both tend to be on Medicare (not always the case for disabled persons though). If there is a group, I don't know who they might be, certainly NOT the AARP.

I did some checking around on-line and I cannot verify the 54% increase noted by the poster above. I found reference to a 6.6% increase however on google.com.

This is a real problem for many. My spouse gets a whole $450.00 a month from SSA before the Medicare is deducted. That sure is not much for a person that served in the U.S. Army for 5 years! What an insult!

Insult after insult! That is all this * admin. knows how to dish out. I believe they'd like to off the lot of us.

:kick:

[Malva Zebrina]

13. I did not sign up for anything

I refuse. I will live out my life without these rich, corporate assholes robbing me blind, forcing me to sell my humble home, and be happier just so I can be shackled to them and live an extra year or two. I would rather die a couple of years earlier on the prediction chart, than be shackled to this so called fraud called "medical care" that takes advantage of the most exploited group in America the elderly.

Better to invest in a good bottle of Scotch, than in these overpriced pills that are good for everything under the sun, except old age and some of which do not even work, and, that have all sorts of side effects, far more than a couple of shots of a good Scotch every night.

We get old and we fade away from this life. Why should anyone at the base level of income,subsisting at the barest minimum, simply hand it all over to the greedy pharma companies and the doctors,and all the side support systems, instead of taking whatever they have and spending it wildly in pursuit of the last hurrah?

Take it and run with it if you can. That is my idea :-)

[happynewyear]

16. yes you are right

and please remember the other very exploited group, the disabled in our country. They really get screwed!! :grr:

[Malva Zebrina]

17. I agree with that

:toast:

Except those may be younguns who do have a life ahead, presumably, and something valuable to contribute in years ahead, so I cannot make the suggestion they buy some good Scotch as an alternative to their health care. :-)