| Statement of Linda Fullerton, Social Security Disability
Coalition, Rochester New York
Disabled and senior citizens definitely need a prescription
drug plan under Medicare, but Part D as it is now, is a failure. Under my HMO
Part D plan, I pay more now for each drug I need, than on my HMO provided drug
plan before Part D took effect. My monthly HMO premium doubled, and I still
have additional co-pays for each drug, with less choices. I recently got major
sticker shock when I went to my pharmacy. I was told that one drug I was just
prescribed would cost me over $100 since it was not on my drug plan’s
formulary. I was instantly forced to make a decision that I never had to
before. Do I not eat for 2 weeks, go without health insurance for two months,
or do without two other medications I need for a year? Since I am on Social
Security Disability, my only choice was to do without the $100 medicine and
walk out. As a result of this experience and many other horror stories that I
have heard I have come to the following conclusions:
Currently disabled Americans are forced to wait 2 years to be
covered under Medicare A, B, or D. That needs to change. Coverage under all
parts of Medicare must start immediately for them, upon disability date of
eligibility.
There should never be penalties for those who do not enroll
in Medicare Part D or any other portion of the Medicare program. Medicare is
supposed to be there to keep people healthy, not force them into having
coverage, and penalize them into poverty for the rest of their lives, if they
miss a sign up deadline. Medicare should be a healthcare program that rivals
any private insurance coverage offered, and one that people would rush to sign
up for on their own without the fear of penalties.
Give Americans continuous TOTAL drug coverage by removing
these deductibles and gaps in coverage:
Currently you pay 25% of your yearly drug costs from $250 to
$2,250, and your plan pays the other 75% of these costs.
Then you pay 100% of your next $2,850 in drug costs.
Then you pay 5% of your drug costs (or a small copayment)
for the rest of the calendar year after you have spent $3,600 out-of-pocket.
These sorts of stipulations are very confusing and harmful
to those who desperately need life saving prescription medicines, especially
those with terminal or chronic illnesses that can least afford it.
Revise the Part D plan to allow Medicare beneficiaries to
enroll in a SINGLE drug plan provided directly by Medicare so that premiums,
deductibles, and co-payments, would be the same for everyone. This drug plan
would be the same as the one currently in place for all other Medicare
benefits. Those who want to enroll in a private plan for drug coverage could
still do so, just as is allowed for other Medicare benefits. Under this
proposed plan Medicare could only remove drugs after one year and must set up
simplified appeals procedures so doctors/patients would always be guaranteed
access to ALL medicines required to insure proper healthcare for patients.
HMO’s are getting huge drug contracts under the current plan
but not passing on the savings to consumers. Many are even paying more for
their drugs than they were before Part D took effect when co-pays and premiums
are factored in. They are also forcing their subscribers to use their Part D
plans or lose their health insurance coverage in their HMO plan. This practice
should be made illegal as it restricts a patient’s ability to shop for the best
Medicare part D plan to suit their needs.
The current Medicare Part D plan is is an outrageous sell
out (pharmaceutical payola) to the drug companies as there is no provision for
Medicare to shop for the best drug prices. That needs to be changed to allow
Medicare to freely shop for the most cost efficient medicines and increase the
types of medicines available on the Part D formulary. Medicare must also work
with the FDA to lower the amount of time that drug companies can hold patents
so that more generic drugs are available in the marketplace which would lower
drug prices across the board.
Congress should also pass Federal regulations (similar to
those governing the tobacco industry) that prohibit the pharmaceutical
companies from advertising their “prescription only” products to the general
public, as this has greatly driven up the price of medicines in order to pay
for these types of “commercials.”
During the Medicare Part D sign up campaign there has not
been enough properly trained staff to answer questions accurately or in a
timely manner. Congress needs to fund this program properly so more well
trained staff are put in place to handle the increased work load that the
Medicare Part D implementation has imposed on the Medicare and Social Security
programs . These increased staff levels must be maintained for Medicare as a
whole and Social Security, even after the intial signup dealine has passed,
since the number of people eligible for these benefits is only going to
increase over time as the American population ages at a faster pace compared to
decades of the past.
Many disabled and elderly citizens are still having to
decide whether or not to eat, pay heat/utility bills, give up other necessities
in life, or go without their medicines instead. This is America, and there’s
no excuse for anyone in this country, to be forced into making those sorts of
agonizing choices. In closing please keep in mind, as we will be sure to, that
this is a crucial election year for many Congressional positions. Your ability
to reform this vital healthcare program in an expedient manner, will be a very
important factor in our voting decisions come November. Thank you for your
time.
Sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition –
read the horror stories from all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
Social Security Disability Coalition – offering FREE
knowledge and support with a focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Please check out my website at:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
“I am disabled and my vote counts too!”
| 
