Did you just hear the pharmacist on Thom Hartmann?

[Cleita]

She stated that by law she can't discuss with seniors the better Medicare D plans that could save them money on their prescriptions. If a senior has a $30 co-pay on his Medicare Part D, she can't tell him about the plan that has a $10 co-pay. I have to tell you that Medicare D is the biggest crap of legislation passed by a Republican Congress under the Bush administration, but this is really beyond the pale. I did not know this. I wonder how many other hidden agendas are written into this?

[Frustratedlady]

1. That isn't true around here. Walgreens printed out and explained the plans.

The did not make suggestions on which plan to pick, but did help as much as possible. Unless they've changed the law, they still provide that service.

I would question whether that is a law or a company policy.

[Cleita]

6. I asked my pharmacy K-Mart if they had someone who could explain

the part "D" plans to me and she said they didn't and seemed kind of uncomfortable about it. I thought for sure they could because they deal with it all the time and who would better know than the pharmacists? But she wouldn't help and now I know why.

[napi21]

2. Yes I heard her. I didn't know pharmacists weren't allowed to tell

you of better plans, BUT, when we chose our plan, I went through an insuurance broker who specializes in medicare only plans. He was very knowledgable and after gathering information of our medical needs, recommended several plans, explained the difference between each one, and even told me about a lot of things that were hidden in some popular plans that you would NEVER know. It's not that they won't tell you about some of these things, but they're things at least I would never think to ask about!

I checked. It was no more expensive to go through a broker who is licensed to sell all available plans that it would have been if I did all the research and contacted the companies directly.

[yy4me]

3. I know I'm playing with fire but I can't even afford part D. With

$100.00 taken from my S.S. check each month for part B, there isn't much left for anything. For the life of me, I can't figure out why anyone thought part D was a good idea. Prescription drugs should be part of the monthly $100.00 and not an additional fee. Do the decision makers think a few hundred dollars a month Social Security check makes the recipients wealthy?

It has reached the point that nothing makes sense any more.

[Cleita]

4. I don't have Part D either. It looked like a con job to me from the beginning,

but I did have a look at it this time during the enrollment period and found out that I would be punished for not enrolling from the beginning with my monthly rate being increased for each year I didn't enroll. Is this a way to treat senior citizens on a fixed income?

[Donnachaidh]

8. there are programs that don't have monthly premiums

but you have to DIG for them, and they catch you on the back end with their deductibles and their *donut holes*. One I spotted was no monthly premium, but a $239 deductible. WTF?

It's obscene. It's SHAMEFUL that the weakest in this country take the most gouging - not only by the medicos, but by our government. One Hundred dollars a month for a health program that is a bare minimum.

[Metta]

5. Isn't all this can't tell b.s. against the first amendment?

Whoever heard of such stuff?

[hvn_nbr_2]

7. You missed the last clause when you read the first amendment

You missed the part about "except when it interferes with corporate profits." :sarcasm:

[Metta]

10. nodding.

:toast:

[janet118]

14. Or the religious nut squad . . .

as in the case of abortion and birth control information.

[boobooday]

9. My parents' financial advisor was giving seminars on choosing the Medicare

prescription plan that's right for you, bring your medicine bottles and compare.

:eyes:

[Cleita]

11. I don't think there is any plan that's right because it was written

by the PhRMA industry lobbyists, so you can imagine who will benefit. Also your parents financial advisor won't do us much good will he, if we don't use him for his services or live where he has his business?

[boobooday]

22. I guess my "rolling eyes" icon was too subtle

I was trying to say I think it is ridiculous, not recommend it for anyone.

[European Socialist]

12. Dems need to add a simple affordable government plan.

[Cleita]

13. What we need is for drugs to be included in Medicare, Part B., which

we already have to pay $96.00 a month for. The cheapest plan that I could see on Part D was an additional $30 a month. People living on SS can't afford this. If drugs were included in Part B and bargained for in bulk like the VA does, it's possible. Of course the PhRMAs would have to do without their big profits and millions of dollars a year salaries for their executives.

[Lugnut]

18. I agree with you.

Part D was one of the biggest bad jokes ever played on SS recipients.

[MiniMe]

15. Hmmmm, well, giving advice about medical plans could be a liability problem

I can see it happening. However, telling people that there may be a cheaper plan should definitely be legal. Unfortunately, some pharmacists would undoubt get paid off by the companies to refer business to them. Not most of them, but some would.

[Cleita]

16. Then the company that the pharmacists work for should have rules

about taking bribes on the condition that they would be fired for doing so. It's not an insurmountable problem.

[MiniMe]

17. I agree, but there also a lot of lawsuit happy people who would sue

if it ended up that they recommended the wrong plan. That's why I say it may be better if they don't recommend a specific plan, but be able to say that the plan they have is not the best for them.

[eridani]

19. D = disaster

HR 676 = the fix

[Hannah Bell]

20. yep, the biggest single chunk of projected medicare increase is due to

this drug industry subsidy.

[Cleita]

21. What's weird is a number of seniors who still can't afford their medication

or to buy into part D so they are not getting what they need and yet the PhRMAS are robbing the Medicare fund happily all the way to the bank.