Vt. To Pay For Poor Seniors Meds After Bush Drug Program Rejects Claims

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VERMONT_MEDICARE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Vt. to Pay for Some Poor Seniors' Meds

By DAVID GRAM
Associated Press Writer

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- State officials agreed Thursday to cover drug costs for poor Vermont senior citizens for a month after a new federal Medicare prescription drug program rejected some of their claims.

The state had covered 30,000 seniors' drug costs until Sunday, when the federal program took effect, but some have reported problems enrolling in the new system.

"Implementation by (the federal government) has been nothing less than disappointing and has not served Vermonters well," said state Human Services Secretary Michael Smith. "We hope that the federal government will straighten this out by the end of the month."

The $7 million emergency plan endorsed by the governor's office and approved by the House would cover medicine expenses of the state's poor seniors through the end of January. Senators said they expected to approve the bill and send it to Gov. James Douglas by the end of Thursday.

:)

Thanks for pointing it out. Much appreciated.

Don

:toast:

Actually I like it.

Don

Make it difficult for old people so they eventually just give up.
Make the states & counties pick up the slack.

When they do this, the cost will drop for the feds, and they will claim victory and call the whole thing a success.:puke:

The only people to benefit are/were the drug companies who got bundles o' cash in the beginning, and plenty of time before the thing took effect, so they could edge up the prices of the drugs seniors take. Increase the price by 40% and then offer a 25% "discount".. such a deal :(

and...

the "new plan" encourages union and pension plans to drop coverage for their retirees. since "they now have a guaranteed government plan". The CEOs can pocket the savings:(

It is, according to my local pharmacy friends, "a nightmare". It is an unconscionable, lethal "plan". It is going to cause untold suffering in this nation. It is one of the (God there are so many) reasons I will be marching in the streets this spring.