We must now flood the senate

[BGAL1965]

with messages demanding defeat of the medicare bill. The lives of 7 million poor and disabled people hang in the balance. If this becomes law. People like myself, a social security disability pensioner, will be denied prescription wrap around benefits and lose access to life sustaining medications. For those who doubt this take a moment and think about this. I get 628 dollars a month from social security for being 100 percent disabled. That is my total income. How many of you can live on 628 dollars a month. Because my income is so low i qualify for medicaid. I only have to pay a token 1 dollar co-pay on each prescription. My medications cost 1000 dollars a month, You do the math, IF this abomination becomes law I and millions of others will lose this benefit and be forced to pay for medications at the same rate as all other medicare recepients. WHER AM I TO GET THIS MONEY?????? Will you give it to me? Will my land lord kindly allow me to stop paying rent in order to afford a couple prescriptions? How do i pay for my utilities? I get 118 dollars a month in food stamps but if i lose my home i lose that benefit too. This bill is my death warrant, Mine and 7 million other poor people. Our only hope now is for people like you to FLOOD the senate with demands to vote down this abomination. SO PLEASE contact your senators and demand that they vote against this bill and let them know that they will be responsible for the death of millions if they let this become law.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Done

I sent them an email as soon as I could get off the rage and shock
as to what was done by Delay

[Malva Zebrina]

2. no doubt there will be more hardship

I am sorry for your plight :-(--and will call Snow and Collins as well--

[creativelcro]

3. I thought poor people

were the only one to benefit from this. -CV

[FlaGranny]

4. BGAL, I know it is a really, really bad bill, but

please don't get yourself an ulcer over it. There are ways to get your drugs. For each medication you take, you need to contact the manufacturer of the med. They will send you means forms to fill out. With your income you will qualify. It takes a lot of work and effort on your part, but you CAN get your meds.

In fact, the other night, a representative of a pilot study spoke at our clubhouse. If the study goes over well, it will be taken over by a charitable organization and expanded. They will either do all the paperwork for seniors or help them do it and will show them how or help them to contact the drug manufacturers. The income limit for a single person is $14,000 to $16,000, and for a couple $24,000 to $29,000.

Few people know about these programs, because the pharmaceutical companies do not advertise them.

The more worrisome part about this bill is the damage it will do to the entire Medicare program. The prescription part of the will actually be good for some seniors, very bad for others like yourself, and no better or worse for the rest. Once they gut Medicare, they will start on Social Security. These bastards must be STOPPED.

(Edit: I wish I could see typos when I proofread BEFORE I post.)

[creativelcro]

5. sorry about my ignorance, but

why would it be bad for seniors like him ? If it's bad for him, who needs the stuff the most, then it makes no sense... One of the analyses I heard last night was that it would be good for people with low income... So ? is it because of the delayed biz (right now people just get a discount card) ? Thanks.

>>
The prescription part of the will actually be good for some seniors, very bad for others like yourself, and no better or worse for the rest.
>>

[goddess40]

7. Medicare gap

Think of people who make a few bucks over the poverty line. My mother stands to lose $4000/year with this bill. She now has good insurance that costs $280/year and pays for her medications. She will undoubtly lose that coveraqe as this bill provides no protection for retired government workers and only some retired from private companies. These people will be dumped from their good coverage after the bill takes effect. I emailed Daschle and told him to back the filibuster.

[FlaGranny]

9. Who knows what's actually in that bill?

From what I understand, the poor could get their meds for about 5 or 7 dollars(?) each, but they would no longer be eligible for free drugs under medicaid. They would have to buy coverage for drugs from a private insurer, but there is no cap on what the private insurer can charge for this coverage, or on what any copayment might be. I may not be entirely right on this and I'm not sure what the income cutoff is.

Perhaps someone else is more familiar this. My knowledge is very "general."

[buddhamama]

11. the prescription part is bad

the government will no longer be able to negotiate with pharm companys on the cost of Meds.

read this http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/socialsecurity/medicarebasics/ns10292003.cfm

[bhunt70]

13. the poorer people it will help is the

people who have less than 6k in assets If I recall corectly. I dont think I can provide a link but Im pretty sure I heard it on cspan yesterday.

[Malva Zebrina]

22. as I understand it

if you cannot pay your medical bills--after Medicare or insurance, you well need to go to medicaid. Somebody has to pay the bills. Under Medicaid, you cannot have more than 6000$ in assets--so if you have more, such as your house, Medicaid can take over your house and use the proceeds to, more or less, pay off y our medical bills. In other words,a poor person can lose their house in order to pay medical bills.

[MaineDem]

6. Senate vote moved to Monday

I just called my Senators and was told the debate will be today but the vote will be Monday.

There's still time for arms to be twisted. :mad:

[calimary]

27. OKAY, FOLKS: BATTLE STATIONS: 1 (800) 839 - 5276 - MONDAY AM!

That's the TOLL FREE Capitol Hill switchboard. It won't cost you ANYTHING to call, first thing Monday morning, and ask to be transfered to anybody's office in the House and/or Senate. Won't cost a THING!

PLEASE USE THIS RESOURCE!!!!! It doesn't cost anything, and if you call early in the morning, you'll get through much easier once they've transfered you.

Just do it. Or else, find a way to be okay with the shitty way they vote and know with all confidence that you did nothing to stop it.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. Ask to be transfered to Senator Frist's office...

Tell him that all of those cats that he slaughtered might have had some sort of weird effects on his brain, causing him to support a bad medicare reform bill.

[Kanola]

8. I have contacted my senators

Concerned that Feinstein might vote for it.

[Lars39]

10. kick

:kick:

[rucky]

12. About to write senator Smith (R-OR)

anybody know where he stands on it?

[Military Brat]

31. Nothing on his web site about it

But considering his record, pretty good chance he'll vote for it. I called Senator Wyden's office on Thursday, his office staff said he was still studying it and had not yet decided. *fingers crossed* that Wyden will do the right thing, because he's never let me down yet.

http://gsmith.senate.gov
http://wyden.senate.gov

Any other DU'er, you can go to your Senator's web page by just replacing the name of your Senator instead of what I've got listed here as the Oregon Senators' web sites.

Gawd, I cannot wait until Monday morning to burn those phone lines in Washington!

:kick:

[Norbert]

14. PLEASE DO AS THIS POST SAYS.

The future of Medicare depends on this.

Each senator has an easily accessable E-mail address (a Google search away) and it take very little time now to make a difference. Even a couple of sentences in an e-mail helps.

[Egnever]

15. Done!

I find this unbelievable that this farce is even being considered!

And the AARP? WTF!!!!

I am so mad right now I cant believe it!

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Done n/t

[Egnever]

17. Kick!

:kick:

[Gloria]

18. About those prescription programs from companies...

they are a farce!! I have one--Together RX....they trumpet big savings, but it is the discretion of the companies which drugs they have in the program and what the discount is!! Even my doctor was confused ...she thought all drugs were $15.00. But that is NOT the case. For example, one of the nasal steroids which is about $70-80 bucks....you save about $10, but who can afford even that much??

So she gives me samples of whatever she has...

The company sponsored programs are NOT going to help to the degree you might think....


Another thing in this bill is that $5000 for those "medical savings plans"....great if you have the money to put away each year!! This is the pilot program Dole MSA accounts now in the law again, this time permanent. Another scheme to undermine government programs like Medicare!! It only gives the rich guys another place to put their money....I'm not rich, but I managed to put away over the course of a couple of years about a thousand dollars....useless for medical expenses, but a little tax deferred account.The limit was something like 60% of your premiums on a high-deductible insurance policy.
Now, it's just a straight $5000 that can go in!! So guess who wins??? People with LOTS of spare cash!!!!

[FlaGranny]

20. I wish you were wrong, but I fear you might be right.

Anything that depends on the discretion of drug manufacturers cannot be trusted. The nurse who explained the pilot study said the medications would be free. I have only her word on it. I'm not old enough to take part in the study, but I'll keep an eye on how the people here who signed up for it do with it.

I'm also wondering if this pilot study might be totally negated by the prescription bill.

So far, I'm lucky enough to only need one medication, and I'm presently on COBRA insurance. I have to pay $40 for an Allegra prescription that is $75 without my insurance. The copay was recently doubled though and my premiums went up close to $100 a month this year.

In a year and a half I'll be eligible for Medicare and I know I won't have lots of spare cash.

[prolesunited]

19. Here's some talking points

on influence of lobbyist and billion-dollar payoff to pharma industry.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=757032

[Malva Zebrina]

21. Snowe a whore for Bush

loves him more than she loves her own people. Loves money and profit more than she loves her suffering , poorer, human beings. Is blah blah blahing--sounding good because she has the inflections in the right place, but she is really not a notably intelligent woman--and she looks like a used up hag with dyed black hair, while trying to look and sound like a real good senator for Bush. I am glad I got to see this amusing act--she is a stiff, rehearsed orator who seems to have practiced and got the gestures down pat and the inflections down pat and trying rreal hard to look and sound forceful and it is coming off as stiff, fearful and rehearsed--and she is sucking at the balls of, George Bush and I am sure he appreciates it. Good girl, Olympia he says, patting her on the head.

For some reason she is poplular in Maine, but she has shown me today that she is as much a phoney as Bush--can't wait to see her Bobsey twin, Collins do the same act.

[Lars39]

23. kick

:kick:

[reprobate]

24. My email to Senator Daschle

Senator Daschle:

I must protest your refusal to support a fillibuster on the medicare bill now before the senate.

I realize that since the anthrax was sent to you, and the undoubted Rove threats on your life, that it takes true courage to stand against the tyranny now in charge of our government.

But let me say something in support of all the seniors out here. I am a senior and the bill that you are allowing to pass will hurt me and all other seniors deeply. It is the Bush attempt to destroy medicare, as they have promised.

Without your support for us, we fear that the republican push to gut all social programs will slide into being, no matter how many of us protest. We feel that we are no longer in charge of our future.

I plead with you, Senator. Please, do everything that you can to see that this attrocious bill is defeated.

Thank you.

[dusty64]

25. Kick.

:kick:

[Toronto Ron]

26. Don't E-mail.....phone or FAX instead!

I've heard many times that e-mail is the least effective means of communicating to a Senator (or House rep). You can easily find phone & FAX #s for your Senator at http://www.senate.gov . I called John Edwards' office yesterday, and immediately got through to a friendly dude who seemed genuine in listening to my opinion and noting it. (I didn't bother calling that Liddy Dole b@#&h; the drug bill probably means cheaper Viagra for ol' Bob.)

[Kanary]

28. I phoned 1-800-648-3516 and got right through...

[calimary]

29. This is true - PHONING is good: 1 (800) 839 - 5276 - TOLL FREE

to the US Capitol. They'll transfer you to anybody's office in the House and/or Senate, just for the asking.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT WHILE IT'S STILL THERE AND HASN'T BEEN ABORTED, PURLOINED, OR SCREWED WITH, BY THE RETHUGS!