A hideous example of the state of 'health care' in AmeriKa (GOD DAMN this shit)

[ProSense]

70. It's horrible, and just think

"A hideous example of the state of 'health care' in AmeriKa (GOD DAMN this shit)

Mom is 86 years old. Every year around April or May she falls into the "doughnut hole" of her Medicare Part D coverage. Just ONE of her prescriptions costs well over $300 for a ONE month's supply. After she hits the "doughnut hole", she has to pay out of pocket. CAN YOU IMAGINE paying that much for ONE prescription when you're on a fixed income? Just ONE of them."

...this is happening under Medicare. The donut hole was one of the biggest health care scams ever.

Krugman, 2005

A Serious Drug Problem

By PAUL KRUGMAN

There was a brief flurry of outrage when Congress passed the 2003 Medicare bill. The news media reported on the scandalous vote in the House of Representatives: Republican leaders violated parliamentary procedure, twisted arms and perhaps engaged in bribery to persuade skeptical lawmakers to change their votes in a session literally held in the dead of night.

Later, the media reported on another scandal: it turned out that the administration had deceived Congress about the bill's likely cost.

But the real scandal is what's in the legislation. It's an object lesson in how special interests hold America's health care system hostage.

The new Medicare law subsidizes private health plans, which have repeatedly failed to deliver promised cost savings. It creates an unnecessary layer of middlemen by requiring that the drug benefit be administered by private insurers. The biggest giveaway is to Big Pharma: the law specifically prohibits Medicare from using its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices.

Outside the United States, almost every government bargains over drug prices. And it works: the Congressional Budget Office says that foreign drug prices are 35 to 55 percent below U.S. levels. Even within the United States, Veterans Affairs is able to negotiate discounts of 50 percent or more, far larger than those the Medicare actuary expects the elderly to receive under the new plan.

- more -

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/06/opinion/06krugman.html

I wish I could offer some advice. Here's a chart about drug prices.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022586434

The best to your Mom.