Drug Prices Rise Under Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

[Dr Ron]

From The Democratic Daily--see original post for links:
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2088



Democrats are looking closely at problems with the Medicare drug program including enrollement difficulties and delays in reimbursement to pharmacies. Perhaps the most alarming problem is the increase in drug prices since the plan began last month:

"Prices for some of the most popular medicines used by seniors have jumped an average of 4 percent under the new Medicare drug benefit since it began last month, according to a report released on Tuesday.

"The report, released by the Democratic staff of the House of Representatives Government Reform Committee, found prices for Pfizer Inc.’s pain reliever Celebrex, Merck Inc.’s cholesterol drug Zocor and eight other top drugs offered by 10 major plans rose during the controversial program’s first seven weeks.

"In some cases, drug prices rose 10 percent, it also found. . .

"Tuesday’s report found Caremark Rx Inc.’s Silverscript Plus plan raised prices 10.2 percent. Under Humana’s Standard PDP plan, prices rose 3 percent, while they rose 4 percent under AARP’s Medicare Rx plan.

"Of the 10 plans reviewed, Avantra’s RX Premier plan was the only one to cut prices, an average of 1.1 percent.

"A second report, also released by committee Democrats, found current prices offered by plans are higher than those offered during the last two years with Medicare’s temporary drug cards"

The plan has also been a financial windfall for the pharmaceutical industry as the majority of those who enrolled in the program are low income seniors who also have Medicaid. Many previously received their prescriptions through Medicaid programs which negotiated discount prices while the Medicare program is prohibited from obtaining such discounts. Many others who have enrolled previously received their prescriptions at no charge from the pharmaceutical companies through Patient Assistance Programs.

The big winners under the Medicare Part D program have been the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, both large contributors to George Bush. Insurance companies benefit from the subsidies paid to private insurance companies to cover Medicare patients in Medicare HMO’s, which typically cost more than the government program to provide health care coverage.

[Dunvegan]

1. Very well crafted to enrich all the big interests (pharm/insurance)...

...and badly hurt the consumer.

We've really got to get rid of this administration while there are any of us left.

Looking forward to working hard on stopping e-voting and getting better politicians and a Democratic majority in the mid-term elections (Diebold be damned.)

[Dr Ron]

2. Could have been even worse

Bush initially wanted to only give the drug benefit to Medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in Medicare HMO's. Not even the Republicans in Congress would go along with that one.

[bullimiami]

3. prices rise and it is against the law to bargain them down. good plan.

[acmejack]

4. It was amazing in it's complexity.

I attempted to decrypt it's mysteries for a friend and myself flummoxed in relatively short order. Now I will admit I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am not generally regarded as a total moron either (with a few exceptions here & there!) and this thing was inscrutable! I understand it is impossible to get assistance on the 800 lines as well.

[Dunvegan]

5. It was a work of byzantine Machivellian complexity because Pharm lobbyists

...were well funded in batallions of lawyers and scribblers to craft the damn thing.

[jbnow]

6. Pharmaceutical and insurance industries

(and those who profit through them) are the only winners.

Consumers lose. Tax payers lose. Drugstores lose. Big Time.

I've been reading pharmacies had a general turn around of ~a week to be reimbursed with most insurance. Now they haven't been paid at all yet. Small independent ones have folded. Not only are they not getting their money but the money they will get is 4% less then usual.

I guess consumers, taxpayers and pharmacies don't have lobbyists that pharmaceutical and insurance industries do to buy the vote.

I am so tired of what is good for the country not mattering. It is so blatant now. We know some corruption exists, money talks and all that. But no one with the power to do it is even trying to do what is right. We shouldn't have to pay for that, it shouldn't be too much to ask for.

[Just Me]

7. It's more than merely a corporate hand-out,...

,...it's a means to squeeze the very life out of folks. The little guy, old or young, doesn't have the leverage to get a fair deal in this new "free market" where the sharks eat everyone alive. x(

[Dr Ron]

8. Related Story: Teresa Heinz Kerry on the Medicare Drug Program

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2090