:: Medicare Part D: A Piece of Crap ::

This article is completely bogus.  If they were to ask the consumers under this program what they thought of it, they would get hammered.

This January, my parents were, without their knowledge or consent, enrolled in Medicare Part D rather than Part B, which they have been and consented to be enrolled in previous years.  They pay a premium for this coverage under their health plan.  Is contains coverage allotments and requirements for prescription drugs already.  Their health plan took it upon themselves to enroll everyone on their plans into Medicare Part D.  I'm sure they did this in order to save themselves money on prescription drugs covered under their Part B coverage.

We found this out when my mother went suddenly deaf in one ear mid-January.  I made her go to the doctor, which lead to specialists and prescriptions for a special viral medication.  In any case, when she went to fill this prescription, she found out from the pharmacy that her usual coverage was suspended in lieu of Medicare Part D.  So, a prescription that would have cost her $10, now cost her $91 for a weeks worth of medicine.  Yeah, a 900% cost change to my parents under Medicare Part D.  Needless to say, there has been hell to pay with their health plan provider and they are back on Part B.  Well, my mother is.  They have yet to fix my father's plan and he is two moths behind on medications he requires and refuses to buy now until this is fixed.  Not good.

So, if Medicare Part D is slowing spending on prescription drugs, it isn't because the program has negotiated good deals with the manufacturers, it's because the cost burden is put upon the person paying for the prescription medication.  Sort of a reverse insurance if you will.  Where you would have paid $10 you now pay for the majority of the drug price and the plan pays the co-pay you used to pay.  Yeah, I suspect a lot of seniors are going without critical medications necessary to prolong their lives.  Great fucking program. 

tag: health, medicare part D, medicare, prescription, drugs, healthcare, government