A completely misleading fabrication by a Bush hack reporter

Just Google the name Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and when you find his bio, you'll realize why your ears are burning. Today, a cute little "news article" appears on the front page of the wonderful Washington Puke, eh, Post, which is trying it's best to become the next Washington Times. The header reads;

Most Seniors Enrolled Say Drug Benefit Saves Money

That header in and of itself is disingenuous, but if you read the data from the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_immigration_041006.htm

you'll find some very interesting data. In every category, with every question, the overwhelming majority of people polled state that the Bush mis-Administration is badly handling the prescription drug plan, and ALL other issues. The facts are in the figures. But these two see a rainbow over the septic tank.

One particularly cute paragraph reads;

>The drug benefit is being accepted more warmly by those who stand to take personal advantage of it than by the public at large. Half of the seniors polled approve of the plan, compared with 41 percent who disapprove. Moreover, six in 10 seniors acknowledge that they do not know much about the program.<

>According to the Post-ABC News poll, a majority of Republicans (56 percent) said they approve of the new benefit, while a similar majority of Democrats disapprove. Most Americans say the Republicans deserve the credit, or the blame, for the new program.<

This pair is probably being paid by the mis-Administration (IMHO) much like the propaganda teams in Iraq. Judge for yourself, but the title is complete bullshit.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/11/AR2006041101685_pf.html

If a subset of people get a GOOD deal, of course they are going to be thrilled!

But the telling line, that puts the lie to his touting, is this: Moreover, six in 10 seniors acknowledge that they do not know much about the program.

And this guy (if memory serves me), years ago, was a food and restaurant critic for WCBS AM news in NY.

that means that nearly half of the people who actually gain from the program STILL think it sucks.
nevermind all the people who DON'T benefit from it!

that is a REALLY bad program if nearly half of the intended benficiaries still don't like it!

oh, wait. the intended beneficiaries are actually the people who run pharmaceutical and insurance companies, i forgot....

with the glowing reports on the program. 'Cause pretty soon people using the new prescription drug plan are going to encounter the dreaded deadly doughnut. And they are not going to be very happy.


The Deadly Doughnut
By Paul Krugman
The New York Times

Friday 11 November 2005

<snip>
At first, the benefit will look like a normal insurance plan, with a deductible and co-payments.

But if your cumulative drug expenses reach $2,250, a very strange thing will happen: you'll suddenly be on your own. The Medicare benefit won't kick in again unless your costs reach $5,100. This gap in coverage has come to be known as the "doughnut hole." (Did you think I was talking about Krispy Kremes?)

One way to see the bizarre effect of this hole is to notice that if you are a retiree and spend $2,000 on drugs next year, Medicare will cover 66 percent of your expenses. But if you spend $5,000 - which means that you're much more likely to need help paying those expenses - Medicare will cover only 30 percent of your bills.

A study in the July/August issue of Health Affairs points out that this will place many retirees on a financial "roller coaster."

<snip>
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111105K.shtml

:kick: