Medicare Part D

20 years ago

For the past few weeks, I've been helping a couple of neighbors and an aunt try to pick which prescription drug program they want/need. This is the most confusing thing I've dealt with in a long while. I worked for the federal government for 25 years and can read bureaucratese pretty well, but this one is a real stinker. We figured out the best one for my aunt, going by the Medicare website and the booklets we had gotten, comparing costs of meds, donut hole coverage, etc. One down, two to go! This certainly isn't one size fits all or even close. We have it narrowed down some for the other two. I'm sending one to her doctor to see if she can use generic prescriptions instead of the brand names he gives her samples of, when he has them. Both were in a medical management project that really helped them with expenses and was very good. That's going by the wayside on 12/31/05, so they need to get one picked real quick. I hope that there's someone around to help me when I have to select one. I just wish that the representatives who passed this thing had to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure if that were the case, it would be much less bum-fuzzling, would not have a donut hole, and Medicare could get contracts for the drugs, like the VA does. Good luck to anyone who's trying to do this.

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Comments (15)

grittymitts
20 years ago
Pathetic, ain't it? According to Medicare's own staff, when plan is chosen it can be changed only once a year, however, the drug provider can change their prices every 30 days!

What is one supposed to do if Dr. prescribes a totally new Rx which is NOT on your drug provider's list???

Expect premiums to go up every year too.

Suzi
linda_tx8
20 years ago
Those lists don't have very many drugs on them, do they? In the real world there's hundreds of thousands of drugs, even going by the generic names. What are you going to do, tell the doctor "no, that's not on my list" and have him prescribe something for arthritis when you need something for acid reflux? Something's rotten in Denmark (or the USA), I think.
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mikeandbarb
20 years ago
It is real scary to think that they have to make it so hard on the elderly just to be taken care of. Just another way to stick it to them. There is no need to make it hard. I'm only 50 and have problems with concentrating on paper work from the insurance companies they don't put it in layman terms. They have to put words in there that I myself don't even think existed why who ever heard of the word's blank blank de blank ya know what I mean.
I feel sorry for the elderly and not looking forward to getting there myself.

GL, Help us
rick_mcdaniel
18 years ago
That part has been criticized every which way to Sunday, but you have no other options, save choosing to not take medications, and suffering whatever health consequences are involved.

The elderly are simply considered a nuisance, in the US. Most people couldn't care less.
rick_mcdaniel
17 years ago
Well folks, the congress just passed the health care bill.....in spite of the fact they haven't figured out how to pay for it yet.....so you can expect medicare to get much worse, as well as medical care to get much worse.

We will now have to deal with all the problems that the NHS in the UK deals with......one of which is denial of care to the elderly.
carrie751
17 years ago
Yeah, Rick, if you are over 59, you can just hang it up.
rick_mcdaniel
17 years ago
Remember the movie "Logan's Run"? We are headed that way.
little_dani
17 years ago
Well, I was going to say I may not even file for it when I am 65 next year. So much trouble and confusion.

It doesn't matter anyway. If this "Health care" bill gets signed, Mr. O is going to put me in a room and not feed me. No water, no medications, no nothing. NO, "she's old, not worth the trouble".

I really resent the fact that they can't be bothered to even read the bills which will cause me to accept a shortened life before they vote for them. The only way to stop it is to raise holy hell!

Janie
carrie751
17 years ago
Noticed that Mayo Clinic has come out AGAINST the bill ... saying it will do much more harm than good.
clayridden
17 years ago
Here is a statement from Mayo

Here is a link that might be useful: mayo
linda_tx8
16 years ago
Ooh, what a list! I'm SO glad I don't have to do that. In a few years, I'll sign up with A & B. My primary, CHAMPVA, will then become my secondary, paying after Medicare (after the small CHAMPVA deductible is met). Medications I'll get free if I get them through Meds by Mail. I believe I WILL have to pay a percent of the bill if I can't wait and have to go to a pharmacy.
carrie751
16 years ago
Linda, please explain ........what is A and B????
carrie751
16 years ago
I was so amazed by your "free meds" I totally forgot the name of the thread and it's relation to SS...........
linda_tx8
14 years ago
Hmm! I hadn't seen this in a while. A and B, of course, is Medicare, which I do have as of this year. One part is hospital care and the other (the one you pay for) is doctors, tests, etc. DH is a disabled veteran with full VA benefits, that's why I have the ChampVA as secondary coverage and the Meds by Mail program. Very few veterans get full VA benefits and so few dependants of veterans can use ChampVA. Yes, free meds from their mail order program, but when I need a new medication quickly and have to go to a pharmacy I do pay 25% out of pocket. Meds by Mail is VERY slow for a new prescription to be sent out. But I'm very lucky to have that.
honeybunny2 Fox
13 years ago
I went on medicare on 11-01-12. They would not fill my benicar medicine, until they spoke to the doctor to see why I needed it. It was during the holidays, and he was not going to be in the office until Monday. I went for 4 days without medication, until they could speak with him. I told them, I have been taking it since Dec 1996 when I had my bypass surgery, didn't make a diffrence. They told me that if I needed the medication, I could pay $147 and buy it. They will not let me get a 90 day supply, I have to go every 30 days now and get medication. I can no longer get it at HEB ( they are not approved by medicare, and it cost more to get medication there) I have to get it at CVS, Walgreens, or Wal-Mart. Yep I can tell you all about medicare part D. The summary they sent said I paid $81 for the benicar, and they paid $51 for a 30 day supply. I only paid $5 for it. I am not even going to question them about that. Barbra