15 April 2008
I am one of many American seniors who live on a fixed income. Being relatively healthy, I chose not to sign up for supplemental medical coverage, over and above Medicare, offered seniors. As a health educator I just don’t like the way they run things. I have straight Medicare and pay my 20% co-pay when I require medical care. I keep my doctor visits to a minimum. I also think that the Plan D drug insurance, touted by AARP, is a joke. Once again I am fortunate to only have to take one prescription drug and do not need a drug plan.
Many seniors are not so fortunate. Very expensive drugs are starting to become much more expensive as health insurance companies are instituting a new pricing system which will require patients to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for life saving medications. Gone is the traditional co-pay arrangement of $10, $20 or $30 for a prescription and now patients are required to pay a percentage of the cost of high-priced drugs. Sounds like health insurance doesn’t protect the insured any more. What happens to those who need lifesaving medications and just can’t afford them? I always thought that insurance was to spread the costs of paying for the sick. That seems no longer to be true.
So far I have not heard any of the presidential candidates address the problems that so many people are having with the high cost of drugs in this country, they seem to be too busy sniping at each other. I’m looking forward to Wednesday night’s debate to see if anything has changed.
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