If you have $5000 in drug costs....in the New Plan --you pay $3920

[cthrumatrix]

Doesn't seem like a great plan ...especially when there are no cost controls.

Check it out for yourself and have seniors try out the drug plan calculator

http://www.kff.org/medicare/rxdrugscalculator.cfm

This is sponsored by Kaiser. They futher estimate that by 2006 ...the average senior drug bill will over $3100/year.

[Walt Starr]

1. Has anybody done the research on what they'll pay next year?

As I understand things, this doesn't really kick in until 2006. My fear is that there was some Democratic initiative left over from clinton that will lower drug costs significantly next year, giving the false impression that Bush accomplished a lowering of prescription drug costs for seniors and giving him the senior vote in '04.

[adriennel]

3. I've heard...

that seniors will start by receiving a discount drug card starting next year (discount unknown). drug prices haven't fallen in years and they are definately not going to fall now.

[HFishbine]

2. If the calculator is correct

Someone with $500 in annual drug expenses will pay $732.50

[cthrumatrix]

4. I think income needs to be considered as well ...less than $13k/yr

which is the poverty level...means that a senior dosn't have to pay the monthly premuim ....I think.

I remember watching Durbin last night saying how you have to look at your income to truly understand the benefit.

[FlaGranny]

9. Low -income folks would get

$600 to help pay for their insurance. Even if that $600 should be enough to cover insurance (doubt that), add it to the $3900 and you get $4500 out of pocket for drugs. Add deductibles and copays for doctors/hospitals and the cost goes way up.

[grasswire]

13. is that a tax credit?

Is that $600 a tax credit??

That won't help low-income people. D'oh.

Aid in the form of tax credits to low-income people is NO AID.

[HFishbine]

12. Regardless of income

Even is someone has $24,000 a year in income, should there be a situation where their out of pocket expenses are greater than their drug costs?

[Langis]

5. That is correct

Sure is a great plan isn't it?

[Walt Starr]

7. Break even is $810

N/T

[HFishbine]

14. Strange

Can't believe the AARP thought this was a good plan.

[w4rma]

10. $250/yr deductable plus a $420/yr premium, among other things. (n/t)

[CMT]

6. Democratic nominee can still campaign vigorously against

this bogus bill by pointing this stuff out and promising a real prescription drug plan if elected.

[terrisel]

8. We need a Democratic Spokesperson on this

We need at least 1 Democratic spokesperson to be the Voice of the Democrats on this issue. Someone identified to sent the press to for quotes and comments.

[w4rma]

11. It looks like Sen. Kennedy has volunteered for that position

…
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, who has long fought for a prescription benefit but vehemently opposed this bill, promised to take the issue "to the highways and byways of this country and to the senior citizen centers and nursing homes where the senior citizens gather."

"We will continue this battle here in the United States Senate and in the course of the elections," Kennedy said. "I'm absolutely sure that at the end of the day we will preserve the Medicare system ... and we will get to the day when we have a real prescription drug program."

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, said senators had "squandered the opportunity to truly change history and to truly change the lives of senior citizens" by providing them with "a skimpy benefit."

"This issue is not finished," she said. "I intend to come back in January ... to really try to get control of the cost of prescription drugs and to try to redirect these enormous subsidies that are going to insurance companies."
…
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/25/elec04.medicare/index.html

[terrisel]

19. He might just be the one

I hear a lot of older american right wingers saying thry are stunned that he is fighting this bill; that he is on their side.

[Snellius]

15. If you do the math, it would be easier to just buy from Canada

I've been working this out too. If they just wanted to lower drug costs, instead of this whole, huge, expensive, complicated, and confusing 1000 bill that nobody understands and which would only save seniors about 1/2 to 1/3, by just allowing the reimportation of drugs from other countries everyone would save at least 1/2 to 2/3 without the taxpayers laying out a dime.

[prolesunited]

16. Only problem is

both the drug manufacturers and the U.S. corporate-controlled legislators are working furiously to close the door on buying drugs from Canada.

Free trade and free market policies are only good when they screw the consumer and benefit the big money interests.

[Snellius]

17. Just goes to prove that this has nothing to do with drug costs

But everything to do with paying off the drug pushers.

[cthrumatrix]

18. the canadian govt. "buys for the country"....negotiates the best $$

and then sells to the drugstores and pharmacies ...this is why they have "low prices"...

This bill specifically precludes the US Govt. doing the same for the american people.

This will not stand with the americans who use 60% of all prescribed drugs in the world and pay the highest costs.

[goddess40]

20. Drug costs

That $3920 is exactly what my mother will pay when this bill goes into effect. She now gets her drugs paid for by the State as she is a retired State employee who banked her sick leave while employed and uses that to purchase her $340 monthly premium. She has a $280 per year deductable. It is very probable the States will cut this coverage for their retired employees leaving them to the mercy of Medicare. There is an AARP representative on WI Public radio and he is taking a lot of flack. The program is almost over and he has had only one call agreeing with AARP. The rest hate it.