Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Solutions To Medicare D Problems

by Street Kid
Thu Jan 19th, 2006 at 11:04:55 PM EST

This is my fourth diary re: Medicare D. It includes both the Democratic and the Republican Response to solving the problems that have been created by this. Here goes:

As previously stated, people are having difficulties in getting their presciptions filled. In many instances, these are prescriptions that are necessary to keep a person alive. Add to that the fact that many who are supposed to be covered by Medicare D are on a fixed income. That equals nothing but a total clusterfuck of a prescription drug program that was supposed to be a vital part of health care reform. Then there is the blame being passed around. And of course, each party has their own remedies to solve the problem.

continued below

The Democratic remedy is to sponsor the following legislation:

_require all prescription drug plans to provide new enrollees with at least 30 days of prescription drugs. This is what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services already have told plans they must do.
_provide federal reimbursement for states, pharmacies and beneficiaries for out-of-pocket costs because the new benefit has failed to cover those costs.
_reduce wait times on calls to 1-800-Medicare.

WTF exactly is that supposed to accomplish? Why not repeal the legislation and go back to something that really works? (Someone has got to explain that one to me, please.)

Now, the republican "remedy" that is being advocated by Senator Charles Grassley:

"Let's focus on the administrative remedies now because they will deliver help a lot faster than any legislation."

So, since you have had God-only-knows-how-long to come up with this thing, wtf prevented you from fixing all the administrative regs before it actually took effect? Oh, that's right, the health of the citizens of this country is not imporant--after all, many people w/low incomes, people with disabilities, and many senior citizens often vote for democrats!

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V. disagreed w/Grassley saying,

"It's always premature. It was premature that the Titanic went down. But it did indeed disappear>"

So Jay, how about a SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM??????????

Solutions To Medicare D Problems | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Solutions To Medicare D Problems (4.00 / 3)

But, instead, there is MORE
blame placed on those who are low-income:

States now spend more on health care for the poor than they do on elementary and secondary education, a policy group said Thursday in its annual review of efforts to deal with the growing problem of the uninsured....
"Today, Medicaid accounts for the largest and fastest growing category of state expenditures," said the State Coverage Initiatives program, which provides technical support to help states broaden health insurance coverage.

More divide and conquer--the upper/middle class v. people who are low-income!!!!

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Thu Jan 19th, 2006 at 11:11:47 PM EST

Re: Solutions To Medicare D Problems (none / 1)

Maybe someone in the government should wonder why in the fucken hell there are so many poor people to start with..declining wages/low paying jobs/lack of education becoming more and more prevalent due to declining decent schools and teachers, greedy companies outsourcing now so many white collar jobs, union decline and so on.

What I've read so far is that if the country socialized health care for everyone..that this would actually save untold Billions of dollars..but that of course would do away with insurers and all the others who make money off the whole health for profit scams now.

'Poverty is the worst form of violence'--Gandhi

by chocolate ink on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 03:33:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You're right!!! (none / 0)

The economy, education, outsourcing...I don't have a fucking clue as to what the answer could be to solve all of those problems...

But, after all of the shit that I have been thru, especially w/the Medicare D and the pneumonia, all I know is that a single payer health care system is desperately needed.

The rx's that are supposed to work in getting rid of the damn pneumonia are not covered under Medicare D. WTF kind of bullshit is that? All that says is that an insurance carrier's bottom line is more important than people's lives.

Only thing that I can really do is to keep track of all the Medicare D info in the hopes that, someday, this country will have a single payer health care system. There's got to be more than a few of us reading this who feel the same way!

And, if a candidate does not support a single payer health care system, he/she does not get my vote!!!!

It is time to move on this, before more people die!

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 03:56:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A single payor health care system would not be (4.00 / 2)

business friendly. And I am sorry to say I do not believe it would be a good fit for the US culturally.

As was pointed out in another diary recently, it is not unusual for Americans to take their own lives when they cannot no longer afford to purchase medical treatment, so as not to "be a burden" to their families, who would have to purchase it for them.

That is how ingrained a value the idea of medical treatment as a market-driven commercial product is.

The Medicare D program is designed to eliminate elders and poor, who constitute an increasingly large population. Many of them generate no revenue stream at all, and others generate a very low one.

Especially as the US transitions toward a single-industry feudal system, eliminating non-producers and low producers helps profits, as there is a near-limitless supply of young, healthy, low or no-cost labor.

It is possible, as the program achieves success, that there may be some degree of buyers' remorse on the part of some sectors of the population, but how intense this remorse may be, we will just have to wait and see. It does appear that the initial death wave may occur earlier than I had anticipated.

one man's conspiracy is another man's business plan
Blog updated as needed

by DuctapeFatwa (DuctapeFatwa@yahoo.com) on Thu Jan 19th, 2006 at 11:28:35 PM EST

Re: A single payor health care system would not be (4.00 / 2)

It does appear that the initial death wave may occur earlier than I had anticipated.

I sure as hell don't want to be part of it!

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 12:00:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

You won't be (4.00 / 3)

You have exceptional intelligence, access to information, a personality and value system diametrically opposed to your culture, you will not shut up and believe that "authorities" will do what's best. You are not meek, and have an unshakable conviction in your value as a human being, and medical treatment as a human right, and your status as a human.

The average elderly/ill/infirm person does not have all that, most have none of it.

one man's conspiracy is another man's business plan
Blog updated as needed

by DuctapeFatwa (DuctapeFatwa@yahoo.com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 12:24:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You won't be (4.00 / 2)

Thank you so much!!! I really needed to hear that, after all that has been going on re: this bs! It is really getting scary for a lot of people.

Again, thanks DF!

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 12:50:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Solutions To Medicare D Problems (none / 0)

Rep Louise Slaughter said that the Democrats plan to repeal the medicare drug plan as soon as they have the power to do so. She said that on her cspan interview yesterday.

"Time is for careful people, not passionate ones."

by roseeriter (roseeriter@yahoo.com) on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 07:15:51 AM EST

Re: Solutions To Medicare D Problems (none / 0)

What about in the meantime?

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 at 03:58:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Solutions To Medicare D Problems | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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