Several million seniors soon will begin hitting the dreaded doughnut hole in their new Medicare prescription drug coverage -- a gap of up to $3,000 where their insurance stops. There already are calls for Congress to fill the gap or to completely change the drug program to make it look more like the rest of Medicare. Changing the program now would be a mistake since polls show that seniors … [Read more...] about Filling the Doughnut Hole
Under the Radar
Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson offered his prescription for a "Medicaid Makeover" during a speech last weekend to the National Governors Assn. meeting in Charleston, SC. Some ideas are good and some not. The not-so-good: As a former governor of Wisconsin, Gov. Thompson knows well the strains that Medicaid is putting on state budgets. His solution is to have the federal government take over … [Read more...] about Under the Radar
Growing Pains
It's been three years since the hot summer when the House and the Senate debated and then passed bills to create the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. And yet the battles still rage. A new study in Health Affairs says that "Seniors give Part D mixed reviews, and majorities are less satisfied with Medicare and with the government as a result of their experience with this program." (Two of … [Read more...] about Growing Pains
Shopping for Health
Appeared in The New York Sun August 1, 2006 When you buy any big-ticket item, whether a house, a car, or a big-screen television, you compare prices. So isn't it astounding that last year Americans laid out nearly $2 trillion for health care with only the vaguest inkling of the price for individual products and services? For Americans today, comparison shopping in medical services is next to … [Read more...] about Shopping for Health
Shopping for Health
Appeared in The New York Sun August 1, 2006 When you buy any big-ticket item, whether a house, a car, or a big-screen television, you compare prices. So isn't it astounding that last year Americans laid out nearly $2 trillion for health care with only the vaguest inkling of the price for individual products and services? For Americans today, comparison shopping in medical services is next to … [Read more...] about Shopping for Health
Tea Leaves
In my reading of the tea leaves over what's coming in the health reform debate, I am worried about what I see. Three examples: Momentum is building for big labor to join with corporate America to shove more health costs on to the American taxpayer. The most recent preview of this initiative came from Andy Stern, head of the Service Employees International Union, in a commentary in The Wall … [Read more...] about Tea Leaves
How Medicare Part D Prescription Plans Are Affecting Drug Prices
Two separate reports by AARP and Families USA (FUSA) supposedly have offered proof that the new Medicare Part D Drug Prescription plans were not working. Drug prices, according to these recent reports, continue to spiral and Medicare Part D is doing virtually nothing to protect seniors from these higher costs. These studies had their intended effect. They were instantly picked up by the … [Read more...] about How Medicare Part D Prescription Plans Are Affecting Drug Prices
How Medicare Part D Prescription Plans Are Affecting Drug Prices
Two separate reports by AARP and Families USA (FUSA) supposedly have offered proof that the new Medicare Part D Drug Prescription plans were not working. Drug prices, according to these recent reports, continue to spiral and Medicare Part D is doing virtually nothing to protect seniors from these higher costs. These studies had their intended effect. They were instantly picked up by the … [Read more...] about How Medicare Part D Prescription Plans Are Affecting Drug Prices