Sunday, January 29, 2006
A bandaid for a hemorrhage
We all know Medicare Part D is an absolute mess and a terribly designed bill. But legislators are coming up with impotent (and totally uninventive) ways of fixing it:
Olympia Snowe said she will continue to push for a bill (S 2168) that would extend from May 15 to Dec. 31 the deadline for beneficiaries to enroll in the drug benefit without paying a penalty. According to AP/Long Island Newsday, at least 140 lawmakers -- most of whom are Democrats -- support various bills that would extend the enrollment deadline.
In the House, 10 bipartisan co-sponsors support a bill that would extend the enrollment deadline to June 30, 2007. A second House bill, which has 131 co-sponsors, would extend the deadline to Dec. 31 and allow beneficiaries to change plans once during the year.Seniors don't need more time (past the May 15th deadline). Nor do they need more information. None of these bills -- especially one extending the date way into 2007 -- will do a thing, because the problem is the bill itself. And not that it's just too complicated (although that's a major issue) -- it's just not a benefit that a lot of seniors deem worth paying for. Premiums are expensive, as are out of pocket costs. There's a huge donut hole in the middle, and there's no guarantee their drugs will be covered.
So while it's all well and good that legislators are trying to help, someone needs to send them a memo that extending deadlines won't fix anything.
Olympia Snowe said she will continue to push for a bill (S 2168) that would extend from May 15 to Dec. 31 the deadline for beneficiaries to enroll in the drug benefit without paying a penalty. According to AP/Long Island Newsday, at least 140 lawmakers -- most of whom are Democrats -- support various bills that would extend the enrollment deadline.
In the House, 10 bipartisan co-sponsors support a bill that would extend the enrollment deadline to June 30, 2007. A second House bill, which has 131 co-sponsors, would extend the deadline to Dec. 31 and allow beneficiaries to change plans once during the year.Seniors don't need more time (past the May 15th deadline). Nor do they need more information. None of these bills -- especially one extending the date way into 2007 -- will do a thing, because the problem is the bill itself. And not that it's just too complicated (although that's a major issue) -- it's just not a benefit that a lot of seniors deem worth paying for. Premiums are expensive, as are out of pocket costs. There's a huge donut hole in the middle, and there's no guarantee their drugs will be covered.
So while it's all well and good that legislators are trying to help, someone needs to send them a memo that extending deadlines won't fix anything.
