Medicare Part D My rant

My husband and I have been on Medicare for about 10 years now and the program has worked well for us and was easy to sign up for and understand. Most doctors accept Medicare assignment and file the paper work.

And then "along came Medicare Part D" prescription drug benefits. I consider myself more computer savvy than the average 76 year old but navigating the Medicare.gov web site trying to make an informed decision about signing up for Part D. was extremely difficult. We would have chosen to remain on the Blue Cross Medicare supplement policy (plan J) that covered,to some extent, prescription drugs but after reading and talking with Blue Cross we decided that (1) The already expensive premiums would increase soon and (2) The penalty phase of Medicare part D would kick in if we did not go ahead and sign up.

So we held our noses and joined (AARP) United Health Care's plan. Time will tell if we mde the right choice.

Some polititians are claiming that those in Medicare Plan D will save money. Initially that is true but after one reaches about $2200 dollars in prescription drug costs, then there is a donut hole (nothing is paid on drugs) until drug expenses reach over $5000. For the average elder the "donut hole will come in about 6 months or less. Many elders who signed up and started using the Plan D should reach the "Donut Hole" just about election time this November. Won't that be interesting.

I am incensed that our government made no attempt to negotiate with drug companies as is done in Canada for instance to reign in the cost of prescriptions drugs. As usual Congress and the POTUS were catering to big business interests and to heck with the average citizen.

My rant is over. Move along. Nothing to see here. ;)















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