AP: Memo Warned About Medicare Cards
By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - A day before the first presidential debate, the government's health policy watchdog raised concerns that early mailings to seniors about the new Medicare prescription discount cards championed by President Bush (news - web sites) were confusing or inadequate.
"We found that these beneficiaries received very little mail from drug card sponsors that would enable them to make an informed choice among cards," the Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Department inspector general wrote in the Sept. 29 internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.
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"Most of the beneficiaries reported they did not receive adequate information about the drug card program through the mail and further the information they received was not easily understood," Grob reported.
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A week after the report, Grob wrote a follow-up memo saying his office wasn't releasing the information publicly because the initial review was designed as a "very quick and early assessment" and that the results couldn't be used to draw conclusions about the rollout of the prescription discount cards.
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=716&e=7&u=/ap/20041015/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_medicare_memoIn other words...the program is poorly communicated and therefore very little benefit (not including the price advantage..if any)