Those increases alone amount to over $446 for 2010. Then there was the
formulary "list of covered drugs." My plan went from covering my
husband's 10 prescribed medications to covering only two. Now I have to
find another company that will ensure that my husband can get his
medications. How is it that drug companies and insurance companies can
micro-manage a patient's medications or health care by a nonqualified
person making those types of decisions regarding a patient's health?
They have quantity restrictions on drugs and step therapy plans on
certain medications and prohibit brand prescriptions unless you jump
through hoops and force you to try cheaper medications that sometimes
don't work as well just to ensure their own profits. You have to fight
for every medication your doctor prescribes to maintain your health.
Clearly these restrictions were put in place when the Medicare D plan
was passed in Congress to benefit the drug and insurance company's
profits. If my husband and I were not on the VPHARM state assistance
plan for out-of-pocket costs for premiums, co-pays, prescriptions
through the "donut hole" would have been over $6,000 in 2009 and would
increase to close to $8,000 a year in 2010 for just prescription
medications.
Between the cost of prescription drug plan premiums, deductibles, the
famous "donut hole" gap and our supplemental health care insurance, our
health costs would run close to $13,000 a year. That is close to half
of our limited Social Security income. We are among the many that don't
have other retirement income to supplement our Social Security income.
This is one reason why so many senior citizens are angry and concerned
about their Medicare benefits and what Congress is doing to the senior
citizens of America.
They say that the health care reform bill will be paid for with taxes
on the wealthier citizens and cuts in Medicare. What exactly do they
mean "cuts in Medicare?" Are they talking about getting their act
together and clamping down on Medicare fraud so senior citizens are not
paying for the greed of felons who rip off Medicare each year? Are they
going to reign in the drug companies and insurance lobbyists so they
don't influence the politicians to ensure their company profits when
they write the health care bill?
Are they going to close the famous gap of the "donut hole" in the
Medicare D program which was put in the program previously to ensure
drug and insurance company profits? Are they going to ensure the senior
citizens just and affordable prescription drug coverage? Will seniors
still have to choose whether to eat, buy fuel, pay their monthly bills
or cut out their medications to survive? Will Medicare health coverage
still be intact after this bill is passed and ensure all senior
citizens good solid health care?
If the federal government had been doing its job correctly we wouldn't
have lost millions of dollars from the Medicare system in the first
place and the senior citizens of this country wouldn't be struggling
every day just to survive. There is a lot more I would like to say, but
time is limited on both sides and others have come to speak their
piece.
Therefore, I will conclude with this, that the bottom line, you as our
senators and politicians have the power to do the right thing for its
senior citizens at the state level. You are the last line of defense
and accountability between whether the senior citizen is taken care of
with dignity and assured a quality of life or whether they are kicked
to the curb because they are old and ailing with health problems not of
their choosing. How do you honestly and truthfully answer all questions
I have put forth to you today and assure all senior citizens that their
right to a healthy life is in your capable hands and you will use all
the power you have available to assure that their Medicare benefits are
improved and not damaged or taken away by a new affordable health care
for all?
Viens lives in Fayston.
