http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/09/1...ughnut_hole.php
Don't Swallow The Doughnut Hole
Jeff Cruz
September 15, 2006


Jeff Cruz is a senior policy analyst for Medicare and Social Security at Campaign for America’s Future.

If there ever was a symbol of the GOP culture of corruption, of their K-Street-Project way of doing business, of favoring special interests over the American people and of their blind adherence to a failed ideology that unconditionally favors shrinking government over public service, then that symbol might just be a doughnut hole .

While the examples of the GOP culture of corruption are numerous—energy bill handouts to oil companies enjoying record profits while consumers are gouged at the pump or increasing the cost of college student loans for the profit of Sallie Mae—the creation of an unnecessary gap in coverage of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit offers a crystal clear indictment of the failure of conservatism and its resultant culture of corruption. Seniors on Part D are only covered for their first $2,000 or so in drug costs. After that, drug coverage in Part D stops completely and they are forced to pay monthly premiums while getting no coverage at all, until spending nearly $3,000—completely out of pocket—when coverage resumes.

The gap, which has become known as “the doughnut hole,” demonstrates how a party that doesn’t believe in government cannot govern effectively.

The inefficient design of Part D resulted from the GOP modus operandi. The only reason the doughnut hole exists is because Part D was designed more for insurance and pharmaceutical companies than for enrollees. If the government was allowed to negotiate with big pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices, there would be more than enough savings to eliminate the doughnut hole.

Every industrialized nation in the world, as well as the U.S. Veterans Administration and Department of Defense, negotiates prices far cheaper than what we are paying for prescription drugs under Part D. Traditional Medicare similarly negotiates with doctors and hospitals to save money for beneficiaries and taxpayers alike. Yet, because of GOP corruption, we pay more for prescription drugs than need be. Seniors lack guaranteed coverage—they must sort through a plethora of competing private plans with different pricing and are faced with a gap in coverage.

Paying prices set by the drug companies results in 61 percent of the federal Medicare drug expenditures remaining with drug makers as added profits. And seniors are left in the hole, which forces many to choose between buying their needed prescription drugs and having food on the table. Remember, the average annual income for American seniors is only around $17,000. One study has found that, when faced with such a gap in coverage, seniors cut back on the prescription drugs, their health deteriorates and they end up costing more money in increased hospital visits. Tragically, fatality rates increased 22 percent for seniors with a gap in prescription drug coverage.

Defenders of Part D try to downplay the doughnut hole, making it seem as if only a few people will be affected. They point out that there are plans that offer coverage through the doughnut hole, but don’t mention that there are few such plans, that they aren’t offered in all states or that they have significantly higher premiums. The average senior in traditional Medicare would fall into the doughnut hole on September 22—Doughnut Hole Day.

Well, it is time to fight back—and have a little fun doing it! A coalition of progressive groups has been fighting to fix Part D. With Doughnut Hole Day approaching, we have set an ambitious goal of symbolically eliminating 69,000 doughnut hole pastries during the week of Sept. 18 to kick off our campaign to eliminate the Medicare doughnut hole. Each pastry will represent a hundred seniors that will fall into the prescription-gap doughnut hole.

Many of these doughnut holes will be eliminated—eaten, crushed, cut, or smashed—at large rallies being planned throughout the country. Many others will be distributed to senior homes or to friends by activists fighting to keep government accountable. Campaign for America's Future is having a YouTube video competition, where prizes can be won for the most creative and popular videos of doughnut holes being destroyed.

While a chocolate doughnut hole has long been a beloved breakfast treat for me, it tastes even better as a symbol of eliminating one of the worst examples of GOP corruption. For the health of millions of seniors, we need to eliminate the doughnut hole. First, we will start the campaign by symbolically eliminating 69,000 doughnut holes in September, and then set our sights on fixing the real doughnut hole in the next Congress. Will you do your part?

For more information on the campaign to get rid of the doughnut hole, please visit www.nodoughnuthole.com

Donut holes are delicious and for years I was indulging in being addicted to the parents of these tempting tidbits.

Too bad that they are now the symbol of disaster for many seniors and one needs to be very crafty to avoid a very damaging fall into that Republican created abyss.

Right now I face the proposition that if I add my newest prescription of a month ago, (using physican samples now) that next month I would take the fall and be charged full inflated prices for the medications I now must use. Soooo,,,,,, one must decide how to try to manipulate the system,,,,,,,, like deliberately ask for one that is outside the formulary and buy it on the sneak from out of country or figure out even if you buy in-country it may be better than the earlier donut hole plunge ------now I ask you is that any way to twist fragile old arms?? And customs is doing its best to intercede in this stragegy to live by confiscating shipments and jeopardizing the buyer. I think the government is afraid to start arresting those that have done or do this --- you might be surprised how many additional prisons this would take, and then the full bill for meds would pass on to the government anyway, what a mess.

Then the open enrollment annual period will start Nov 15, likely to be another can of worms as seniors scramble trying to find better carrier plans.

lenal
:bat:

AARP had quite a backlash during the development of the Part D legislation. It will be appreciated if they are successful in this attempt to wipe the stigma off the efforts by seniors to procure necessary prescription drugs without feeling the guilt that the present ill-conceived legislation inflicts.

Notice the last paragraph which is a quote from a member of Pharma, they and FDA try to squash reasonable solutions.

In fact my most recent medication has been used for years, with success in other countries and no more adverse side effects than similar antispasmodics being prescribed. Thus it gets delayed in being specified in the various formularies. Protection again for big PHARMA.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060915/ap_on_...p_drug_campaign




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AARP plans $500K advocacy campaign Fri Sep 15, 2:29 PM ET



WASHINGTON - The AARP is launching a $500,000 ad campaign Sunday in 14 states pushing for Senate action on legislation that would let consumers buy U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada and other countries.




The ads will appear in newspapers and on radio in cities such as Baltimore, Indianapolis, Anchorage, Alaska, and Des Moines, Iowa. David Certner, legislative policy director for the advocacy group, said the campaign focuses on the home states of senators who have shown some openness to letting people buy U.S.-made medicine shipped abroad.

"This is going on right now regardless of the law. People are going outside the country to buy their medicine," he said. "We want to make sure the system is as safe as we can make it."

The bill that AARP supports, written by Sen. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record), D-N.D., has bipartisan support from 31 co-sponsors. It would allow consumers buy U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada and eventually from other countries such as Australia, Japan and nations within the European Union.

AARP officials said the political ads were not developed with November in mind, but they also know that cheaper medicine is a top priority with voters during the elections. The ads urge people to call their senators to co-sponsor the bill.

While millions of seniors are getting some relief through the new Medicare drug benefit, the organization still represents millions not yet eligible for the benefit who must deal with rising drug prices, Certner said.

The trade association representing drug manufacturers said the AARP is jeopardizing the health and safety of patients by urging Congress to pass legislation that would allow potentially unsafe drugs to be imported from other countries.

"The FDA has repeatedly stressed that it cannot guarantee that imported medications from Canada are safe," said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. "And Canadian health officials have acknowledged the severity of the counterfeiting crisis within their borders."



lenal
:hexe: