I spent several days this week in the Magic Valley and listened to a lot of people who shared their experiences on a variety of issues. In particular, I spent time with seniors and heard many stories about their frustrations with the new Medicare prescription drug program. Americans were calling for prescription drug coverage under Medicare for years. What they got, however, has holes that would not have been there if Congress had not been raising campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical compaines.
The issue of prescription drugs came up over and over again as I spoke with seniors in Twin Falls and Rupert this week. Everyone has a story and virtually everyone is frustrated with the experience. "Why did Congress have to make such a simple concept as extending Medicare coverage to prescription drugs so complicated?" people are asking.
The bill passed in late 2003 by the slimmest of margins and, unfortunately, four-term incumbent Mike Simpson was one of the votes in favor -- although he had earlier told us he was going to vote against it.
One gentleman in Rupert told me that he believed some folks in Congress, along with some drug company and insurance lobbyists, want to undermine public support for Medicare. “Why?” I asked. He said they feel threatened because Medicare is effective, includes all seniors and has lower administrative costs than any private plan. "If it ain't broke, break it," he said, so the public won't like it anymore and Congress can then dismantle it without the public getting upset. I usually don’t abide conspiracy theories, but there are a lot of people who are so upset with what Congress foisted on them that these theories tend to take on a life of their own.
At the Twin Falls Senior Center, I heard from some folks who feel badly that they have caused their pharmacist to spend a lot of extra time to help them sort through all the plans that are being promoted by different companies. Others have asked their family members to work long hours to help them, which reinforces a sense that they are losing their independence even more.
I also heard at the Twin Falls Senior Center about scam artists who are contacting seniors and offering to help them pick the best plan. They get access to sensitive information, charge fees and then the senior may or may not sign up for the plan they really need. I am told the folks at the Department of Health and Human Services are helpful but seem to be overwhelmed by the complex workload. Many seniors I have spoken with felt sorry for the front line workers and felt badly that they had to keep calling them with more questions.
There are a few stories I have heard about people who did find the right plan fairly quickly – usually with the help of a family member who did a lot of research on the Internet. Those folks who are in good health either picked a plan they think will work or have not picked a plan at all. But even they are concerned about what will happen when their own health status changes.
Everyone agrees that if members of Congress were not raising money from pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies at the same time they were drafting the Medicare prescription drug bill, we would NOT have the bill we got. There would not have been a ban on imports from Canada, there would not have been a ban on our government negotiating for lower prices on behalf of seniors, and there would not have been a big hole in the middle of the coverage.
Imagine the prescription drug law we would have if members of Congress had spent their time listening to seniors in Twin Falls and Rupert and every other town in America, rather than to the industry lobbyists in between fund-raising receptions in Washington, D.C.