Medicare plan meets with local resistance

Local members of a national political action group gathered in protest of a new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan effective today that penalizes senior citizens who don't sign up for the new plan, which is administered by drug companies rather than the Federal Government. \nAbout a dozen members of MoveOn.org cheered outside of Rep. Mike Sodrel's, R-9th District, Bloomington office Thursday as they ripped up a giant check protesting his endorsement of the plan that the Bush administration says will save seniors who sign up for it about $1,100.\nThe oversized check, endorsed by "big drug companies," represented the campaign contributions pharmaceutical companies made to Sodrel's 2004 political campaign. MoveOn claims Medicare Part D helps drug companies more than seniors and asked Sodrel to support extending the deadline.\nSimilar protests were held at Congressional offices around the country.\n"Competitive bids are prohibited in the bill," said Bloomington Dr. Mary Mahern. "As far as I'm concerned the bill was written by the pharmaceutical industry and is not in the interest of a single person in this country."\nMahern and other protestors offered anecdotes of seniors who were extremely confused by the plan and signed up on the Internet.\n"People are completely confused," she said. "There's a lot of fear and uncertainty. They don't know what plan to sign up for or how it will work out for them."\nMedicare Part D offers recipients formularies, or different lists of medication, that they can sign up for one year at a time, the protestors said. But they said different lists offer different deductibles for the same drugs. According to Wikipedia, drug companies can also change the drugs they offer as long as they give at least 60 days notice.\n"With a formulary, if a patient needs new medicine for a new diagnosis, that might not be covered in that formulary," Mahern said. "It's much too rigid." \nThose who fail to meet today's deadline will pay a penalty equal to one percent of their monthly premium if they sign up later. The Associated Press said as of Wednesday about 6 million people eligible for the plan had yet to sign up.\n"I think traditional Medicare has served our seniors well, but this part D plan is terrible," said Dr. Rob Stone, an emergency room doctor at Bloomington Hospital. "These free market applications have just been a nightmare."\nDespite the protest, Sodrel's Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Crabtree said most people he's heard from at town hall meetings liked the plan.\n"There were a number of people needing help enrolling, but there seems to be quite a lot of satisfaction with it overall," Crabtree said.