Complaint Review: US Government Medicare Part D

On the day that I originally complained about Medicare Part D I was angry, but since then I have returned to working as a nurse FT and I am now completely frustrated. My mom still lives with me and through "free enterprise" her medications now cost me $54 a month. ($4 for glucophage/metformin and $50 for Norvasc which has recently gone generic) If I had purchased Medicare Part D, I would be paying $52 monthly, plus a co-payment and lsot money. I know you are thinking, what happens when she really needs lots of drugs, and there is a duel answer; 1. She won't take many pills, abhores them and 2. Medicaid will cover her costs, in other words she isn't a retired senator or congressman.

As a nurse I see MD's order meds daily and they have to reorder because the drug ordered is too costly or not covered on the plan and therefore a CHEAPER alternative needs to be ordered. What is also impressive, is that common sense is replaced by "drugging up the patient". Did you realize that Quinine, which has been used for leg cramps for many years effectively and costs about $6.50 per bottle of 100 is now "dangerous" and can no longer be prescribed, and what did they replace quinine with for treatment? Benzo's and/or opiates, cost $75 (generic from Canada)- $250. Get the picture?

Well, bless you all for your sanity and prespective. KEEP WRITING, I enjoy reading the ideas.

Mike, you made a few valid points. Now, I'll shred the rest. Bear with me.

First, if the drug companies could only charge what the individual customer could afford, the prices would drop. That is exactly how a free market works. If the drug company wants $100/pill, but the market will only bear $3/pill, the price of the pill will be $3. Here comes Health Insurance. The patient(customer) is no longer part of the equation. Everyone "knows" the Insurance company is a bottomless pit of free money, so everyone goes to the Doctor for nothing, and gets all the pills they can for nothing. Take the Insurance companies and Government out of the equation, and prices will reflect it by going lower.

R&D is very expensive. On average, it takes 10 years to bring a drug to market. The drug company has to include R&D in the retail price of the finished product. If they don't, the company is always at a loss. If the company cannot make a profit, they have no reason to be in business. Would you invest in a company that will never make a profit? I won't.

Again, take the government out of the equation(FDA), and the prices will drop more. Every drug that has been recalled was originally approved by the FDA. So much for their being the experts on drug safety. The entire Board of the FDA is made up of former execs from the drug companies. You don't think there may be a conflict of interest do you? If I tell you eating citrus fruits will cure scurvy, I am in direct violation of FDA rules. It's all true, but the FDA considers anything that will cure an illness a drug. It's the same with vitamins. The FDA knows vitamins, in proper amounts, will help you, but you cannot advertise that fact.

Most people will save an enormous amount of money by NOT having health insurance. The vast majority of insured will never use the annual premiums alone, and many more won't use the premiums plus the deductables each year. The small percentage that do use more than they pay are what the insurance companies hate. Think about it. You own an insurance company. How long will you be in business if you pay out more than you take in? Not long. This works for ALL insurance.

The cigarette makers are making more money than ever, after paying out $$BILLIONS$$ in lawsuits and the great "settlement". Yeah, great for the tobacco companies. They make more per year than they would ever have to pay out, and the Government gave them a free ride forever with that settlement.

Nope, take the Insurance Companies and the Government out of the equation, and the free market will work perfectly. Nixon tried to use wage and price controls. That was a dismal failure. If I tell you a widget is worth $100, and nobody is willing to pay more than $10 for that same widget, guess what? The price of the widget just hit $10. That is, untill you show me you have widget insurance. The widget insurance company will pay alot more for the same thing, because they have no "emotional attachment" to the sale at all. To them, it's just numbers on a ledger. Now, I can sell that widget for $100. I may be a nice guy and discount the widget for the insurance company, but I'll still sell it for alot more than I could without them footing the bill.

The fundamental issue here is that the government thinks that free-market principles will work in the health care business. It is not a free market. People must take these pills or they will die. Or at least they think that they will die because the company's ad campaign has convinced them of that.

The company discount cards are offensive. They appear to be being humanitarian. The truth is that the incremental cost of a month's pills is almost always less than $15.00. These are simple chemicals made in offshore factories. They make the pills for maybe $2.00 (*) and then sell them for $15.00. If they didn't offer the discount, the poor senior person wouldn't be able to afford them at all. So the company makes MORE MONEY with this radical discount program than not. They are able to sell to a selected group that they know wouldn't be buying the product otherwise.

This is not "charging what the market will bear." The elementary supply and demand principle is based on charging everyone the SAME PRICE and then seeing how many people will buy it for that price. Here, the companies charge each person the maximum they can get. The price is based on the consumer's ability to pay rather than any inherent value of the product. It is like in the vacation movie where Chevy Chase needed four new tires, and the mechanic asked "how much do you have?" instead of naming a price. A highly dubious practice everywhere else but business as usual for the pharmaceutical industry.

(*)Note I said incremental cost. This is just the cost to make 30 more pills. The usual and often unjustifiable explanation of high R&D costs is not an issue here since that has already been done regardless. They have in the poor senior a person who will never be able to pay the inflated full price. Unless they can convince the government to do it, he will not be buying any pills and not making the company any money otherwise.

Democracy is mob-rule. Evereyone would vote to give themselves money from the treasury. Look at what happeneed after Katrina. Everyone with their hands out looking for taxpayer money to be given to them. What did they all do with the $2K the taxpayers had to forfeit so these derelicts could have it? Strippers, Nikes, drugs, booze, you name it.

Nope. No thanks.

If nothing else, we need the Seneators and Congressmen to at least slow down the rate of thievery. There should be term limits...no more than two terms as any elected official. That would eliminate most of the arrogance. Eliminating the "perks" would get rid of the rest.

Robert, you are on the right track about the senators, etc. However, I don't think we need them at all.

It no longer takes months to travel from one place to another. We don't need anyone to "represent" us. We can all vote ourselves, using modern technology.

Let's try an experiment, lay them all off, and they only get the max unemployment benefit that they have set for us.

I bet the PEOPLE would vote to get the hell out of Iraq, close the borders, get rid of tax breaks to companies that send our jobs overseas, close all the embassys, etc. I think people would be amazed at how fast the deficit goes down.

For what has already been wasted in Iraq, everyone here could have a free electric car.
But of course that is not what Cheney/Bush Sr want.

Bush Jr is a figurehead, and not a very good one!
The man is a moron, he can barely speak, let alone think. Have you seen the stupid commercial where Barbara Bush blathers about eating meals with your kids keeps them off drugs and alcohol? Didn't work for her kids, did it?

Seems like Barbara was hitting the sauce when pregnant with JR. seems like a fetal alcohol baby to me.

Whatever happened to Neal, the king of the savings and loan ripoff? He got off scott free, didn't he?

If the market could only charge what it will bear, prices would go down. This is not arguable. My wife would go to the Doctor and her Insurance Company would pay one price. I would go and pay cash to the same office, and get a much lower price. The Doctor knew what I was willing to pay, and we worked it out. Alot of businesses give "cash discounts". This is because the business knows they have their money. They don't have to wait for the CC or check to go through. CC's pay the Merchant a reduced amount of the ticket(loss) and checks bounce. Cash always works whenever it's tried.

I think the elected scumbags in DC should be part-timers, as they originally were. Get it? They would show up in DC once or twice per year and vote on a spending bill or something. Then, they would go back home. This made them live with whatever they just did, and the tax bills for the citizens of this country were ZERO. We also didn't have any of the stupidity we have now. Now, they exempt themselves from everything and give orders to the rest of us. Off topic...this is why we need a Constitutionalist Supreme Court, and Libertarians getting elected.

As for the Drug Companies offering subsidized pricing to low income people, fine...if that is what the Company and it's shareholders decide to do. It is their Company, not the Governments'. On the other hand, in order to provide lower cost to one consumer, they will have to increase the cost to another consumer. The Company still has a profit margin to meet. If I give away something to one of my customers, I will have to increase the profit margin on another ticket. That's business.

I have no problem with poor people, although I find it amusing how many poor we have with computers, cell phones, 2 pack/day habits, all the beer they want, MP3 Players, Blackberries, Escalades, Big Screen Plasma TV's, CATV, Spinner Wheels, etc. These aren't "poor" in any sense of the word. The "poor" in this country live better than most people anywhere else. You want poor? Go to India. I don't hang out with poor people. Why should I? No poor person ever put anything on my table. If you want money, go where the money is. Find a rich guy. Donald Trump's show "The Apprentice" is far more successful than "Whino Joe behind 7-11".

If the market went back to what the customer can afford, the whole structure would be less expensive. If Doctors stopped doing the paperwork for the Insurance Companies, and made the Patient do it themselves, it would too. Why? Because then the Doctor would again, only charge what the Patient(customer) could afford at that time. If the Doctor charged more than the market could bear, he'd be out of Business.

Everyone is bending over backwards to meet the exorbitant costs of prescription medicines set by the Pfizers, Organons and Lilleys. The approach is just so wrong its sickening. This wheeling and dealing the government has wrapped itself up in just so these corporations get their profits from the sick and old is not right. So tax payer money has been used to set up a system capable of ensuring people have a way of obtaining prescription drugs. We need to revert back to the old days of breaking up monopolies and placing good ol price controls on health products and services. All this rubbish about needing to charge astronomical prices to keep funds coming in to cover research and development costs to stay competetive is so revolting. Everyone knows the f***** lobbyists on capitol hill ensure their right to keep prices in the stratosphere through fancy dinners, show tickets, cigars and a nauseous mix of hookers, massages and god knows what else. How many Americans have declared bankruptcy due to credit cards/loans/financing that went unpaid due to the surreal costs of health care/medications?Do a search on this site to find out!I find it interesting how so many other industries stay competetive without needing to increase net costs by 400% to consumers over 5 years. As one of the rebuttals in this thread advised; move somewhere where the right to a health care is guaranteed, I did and sleep well knowing I'll never be declined a surgery due to not being insured or pay more than $28 for a needed prescription (regardless if its "name brand" or generic), thats price controls at their best and guaranteed health care. Funny, the US dept of health and allied depts pay more out on per capita healthcare something like $4000 per person than coutries that have free public systems Australia $2300 for example, are we sicker? I thought we were the healthiest lot around! It always comes back to these drug companies and their inflated profit margins, stop just letting them control every aspect of treatment programs.

I remember when Doctors made housecalls. The cost of Healthcare has skyrocketed because of insurance. If the Doctor had to rely on the ability of his patients to pay, he would charge what the market would bear. If I could come up with car repair insurance, and get enough people to pay for it, I'd be a millionaire. I charge more for repairs if a warranty company is paying the bill. It costs me time and money to collect. Body shops do the same thing. So do ALL professions.

Robert, I forgot to point out that the prescription card is from the companies, how are you being robbed?

That goes to the heart of my position, the Feds should have stayed out of it and let the people work with the drug companies, the U-share card and others like it is a much better, more efficient system that the feds could ever do.

But now we won't have a choice, we have to go with the feds, or we have no help at all. Then you will be robbed.

Do you have a problem with the extravagent benefits the senators and congressmen have given themselves, at our expense? Or is it just poor, disabled people that need a helping hand that you despise so much?

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. The drug card is $20 for a year. Several of his prescriptions can then be bought for $15 dollars a month, not all of them. We still have to pay full price for several more.

The government plan is not going to help us at all.

And we are now in a situation where the federal government is completly out of control. The Supreme Court recently ruled that government can take property away from people and given to someone else, someone who will develop it and make money off of it. Eminent domain run amuck.
Do you think the "founding fathers" would agree with this?

The government is completly corrupt and needs to be overhauled. I have several ideas about how to do this, but in the end, all the people need to stand up and say enough.

Remember, the USSR did not fall until the soldiers refused to shoot their own families demonstrating in the streets. The people must unite. What if everyone changed their deductions and refused to pay taxes, are they going to put everyone in jail?

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. The drug card is $20 for a year. Several of his prescriptions can then be bought for $15 dollars a month, not all of them. We still have to pay full price for several more.

The government plan is not going to help us at all.

And we are now in a situation where the federal government is completly out of control. The Supreme Court recently ruled that government can take property away from people and given to someone else, someone who will develop it and make money off of it. Eminent domain run amuck.
Do you think the "founding fathers" would agree with this?

The government is completly corrupt and needs to be overhauled. I have several ideas about how to do this, but in the end, all the people need to stand up and say enough.

Remember, the USSR did not fall until the soldiers refused to shoot their own families demonstrating in the streets. The people must unite. What if everyone changed their deductions and refused to pay taxes, are they going to put everyone in jail?

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. The drug card is $20 for a year. Several of his prescriptions can then be bought for $15 dollars a month, not all of them. We still have to pay full price for several more.

The government plan is not going to help us at all.

And we are now in a situation where the federal government is completly out of control. The Supreme Court recently ruled that government can take property away from people and given to someone else, someone who will develop it and make money off of it. Eminent domain run amuck.
Do you think the "founding fathers" would agree with this?

The government is completly corrupt and needs to be overhauled. I have several ideas about how to do this, but in the end, all the people need to stand up and say enough.

Remember, the USSR did not fall until the soldiers refused to shoot their own families demonstrating in the streets. The people must unite. What if everyone changed their deductions and refused to pay taxes, are they going to put everyone in jail?

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. The drug card is $20 for a year. Several of his prescriptions can then be bought for $15 dollars a month, not all of them. We still have to pay full price for several more.

The government plan is not going to help us at all.

And we are now in a situation where the federal government is completly out of control. The Supreme Court recently ruled that government can take property away from people and given to someone else, someone who will develop it and make money off of it. Eminent domain run amuck.
Do you think the "founding fathers" would agree with this?

The government is completly corrupt and needs to be overhauled. I have several ideas about how to do this, but in the end, all the people need to stand up and say enough.

Remember, the USSR did not fall until the soldiers refused to shoot their own families demonstrating in the streets. The people must unite. What if everyone changed their deductions and refused to pay taxes, are they going to put everyone in jail?

The Revolution we had back in 1776-1781 was to get RID of Government interference in our everyday lives. We paid a 1% tax on Tea. That worked out to about $1 in 20 yrs for a family of four. For those rates, I'd go back to the King.



If you want the Government to pay for everything, please go to a country that does that already, and leave at least one that people like me can tolerate.

The Revolution we had back in 1776-1781 was to get RID of Government interference in our everyday lives. We paid a 1% tax on Tea. That worked out to about $1 in 20 yrs for a family of four. For those rates, I'd go back to the King.



If you want the Government to pay for everything, please go to a country that does that already, and leave at least one that people like me can tolerate.

The Revolution we had back in 1776-1781 was to get RID of Government interference in our everyday lives. We paid a 1% tax on Tea. That worked out to about $1 in 20 yrs for a family of four. For those rates, I'd go back to the King.



If you want the Government to pay for everything, please go to a country that does that already, and leave at least one that people like me can tolerate.

Your math won't add up. If paying $20/yr, and $15/prescription isn't saving you any money, why are you still on the plan? It's because your meds are at least three times the total amount you are paying, and in reality, saving a bunch. It's not FREE, like you want, but nothing ever is. If you get it for FREE, that means someone else is being robbed to pay for it. I choose not to be robbed, thank you.

My husband is very ill and takes a lot of medications. Right now he has a U-Share card for the drug companies themselves. It costs $20 a year and he gets several of his meds for $15 a month. In no way is this going to save us any money. But you can bet the senators, congressmen and so forth have full coverage for everything. I am sick of people making laws for me that only benefit them.



The bribers (oh, I mean lobbyists) have complete control over us. Who in the hell came up with this system? Oh yeah, the senators and congressmen.



Can anyone spell "revolution?"

My husband is very ill and takes a lot of medications. Right now he has a U-Share card for the drug companies themselves. It costs $20 a year and he gets several of his meds for $15 a month. In no way is this going to save us any money. But you can bet the senators, congressmen and so forth have full coverage for everything. I am sick of people making laws for me that only benefit them.



The bribers (oh, I mean lobbyists) have complete control over us. Who in the hell came up with this system? Oh yeah, the senators and congressmen.



Can anyone spell "revolution?"

My husband is very ill and takes a lot of medications. Right now he has a U-Share card for the drug companies themselves. It costs $20 a year and he gets several of his meds for $15 a month. In no way is this going to save us any money. But you can bet the senators, congressmen and so forth have full coverage for everything. I am sick of people making laws for me that only benefit them.



The bribers (oh, I mean lobbyists) have complete control over us. Who in the hell came up with this system? Oh yeah, the senators and congressmen.



Can anyone spell "revolution?"

My husband is very ill and takes a lot of medications. Right now he has a U-Share card for the drug companies themselves. It costs $20 a year and he gets several of his meds for $15 a month. In no way is this going to save us any money. But you can bet the senators, congressmen and so forth have full coverage for everything. I am sick of people making laws for me that only benefit them.



The bribers (oh, I mean lobbyists) have complete control over us. Who in the hell came up with this system? Oh yeah, the senators and congressmen.



Can anyone spell "revolution?"

I applaud you for taking care of your mother. That is almost unheard of today. Everyone just wants to shove the old people in a home somewhere and let the taxpayers foot the bills.



Which brings me to my second point. The whole " The US Government is going to take of me from cradle to grave" mentality is going to cripple this country. This Rx plan was a boondoggle from the get-go, just like the rest of US Government involvement...Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, all of it. The hurricanes hit and what do we see? The vast majority of people with their hands out waiting for the US Government to provide for them. Great. More derelicts I get to support. There was a time(before LB Johnson) when Americans supported themselves and got along just fine.



So yes, Patricia. There is a huge ripoff here. It is the entire concept of the US Government providing anything for anyone that isn't expressly allowed by the US Constitution. That would be national defense...and nothing else.