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November 17, 2005
New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors
Shirley is a couple of years older than I am so she gets to blaze the trail into the labyrinth of programs available to the more mature members of our society. Since the period to sign on to what is promoted as a new Medicare prescription drug benefit for senior citizens has arrived, she is working hard to sort out what is best for her, both now, when she very seldom takes prescription drugs, and in the future when she may take some as yet unknown drug on a regular basis.
She currently has generic drug coverage through a Medigap provider. So that provider is one obvious choice. They offer three options. But 35 other companies offer a total of some 82 different plans from which she can choose. They range in cost from no cost for the new benefits to $66.08 per month, depending on what other health insurance you have with that company and what benefit options you choose. Some plans cover 99 of the 100 top drug prescriptions while one covers only 66 of those top 100 drugs. None cover all 100. And finding out what drugs are covered is a monumental chore that must be approach by looking at the fine print of each plan individually. As a thought experiment, please jot down on a piece of paper what new drug your doctor will prescribe on your next visit and compare your guess with what the doctor actually prescribes.
Speaking of thought experiments: Her considerable mental abilities have been severely challenged while trying to making this choice. In fact, I am convinced that this new plan is not a drug benefit plan at all. It is a rigorous mental exercise for seniors that will help ward off dementia for years to come. Who would have thought that the Bush Administration could be so subtle?
Posted by Duane Smith at November 17, 2005 8:24 AM | Read more on Humor |
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