Musings on the new Medicare Rx benefit?

Forward from Nancy Grimm 1-23-2006

Just in case you all were wondering about the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, here it is from the horse’s mouth.

You might want to share this with your folks. It will help to clear up the confusion around the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

Subject: Bush Explains Medicare Drug Bill
Bush Explains Medicare Drug Bill -- Verbatim Quote
Submitted on 2005-12-13 16:35:14

WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: 'I don't really understand. How is it the new plan going to fix the problem?'

Verbatim response (PRESIDENT BUSH):
'Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to that has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, supposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.'

Forward this to others -- so they, too, can understand.

Ho’s reply:

Which end of the horse did you say this came from? This so called plan is no more than a blatant vote-buying instrument, completely idiotic, that probably creates more problems for more people than it solves and will cost infinitely more than the actual net amount of any real benefits. Like so much of the self-serving legislation that has come out of Washington for at least the past sixty years, its main beneficiaries are Washington bureaucrats, with Congress and the drug industry following far behind in decreasing order of value. I’ll give you an actual example from my own experience that could probably be echoed by millions of seniors all over the country.

Most of the major drug companies have had wonderful and very efficient programs to provide free drugs to seniors on low incomes like Social Security. During Barbara’s last year we benefitted with an average of $1300.00 per month of her drugs provided absolutely free by drug company programs. (All but one of the drug companies announced they would discontinue their free drug plans once the new law took effect, and I can’t really blame them.) The drugs and over-the-counters for her we had to pay for out-of-pocket amounted to nearly $1000.00 per month. My benefit was much less at about $120.00 per month. I calculated the lowest costs to us under the new plan. Because her costs were so high, she qualified for the maximum out-of-pocket expense so our total costs, including premiums for part D would have been over $4,000.00. annually, a savings of $8,000.00 on paper. The problem was that because many of her drugs as well as both of mine are not yet available in generic form, they are only partially covered by the plan and would add between $3,000.00 and $4,000.00 to our annual costs. It’s very difficult to calculate accurately the actual difference.

Under the new law, the total cost for my drugs added to the premium cost for the insurance I must buy, will be in excess of $155.00 per month. If I buy the same drugs under the discount program of the privately insured supplement program I already have and pay for, my cost will be only $80.00 per month. (Provided I don’t need additional new drugs) That is still $80.00 a month more than I was paying under the old system. Actually, since one of the drugs I take is from Pfizer my cost per month will only be $40.00. Amazingly, Pfizer alone among the major drug companies is continuing their free drug program for low income seniors, at least for the present.

This is terribly expensive legislation, even if measured by implementation, education, administration and policing costs alone. There is no question in my mind about who benefits the most from this program. Number one, the ravenous federal bureaucracy that must grow to administer and police the plan. Number two, Members of Congress.(supposedly pays for votes) Number three, the drug companies who are able to cancel their free drug programs. You’ll notice I didn’t mention seniors on medicare because they will gain the least if anything.

This is your government in action–Democrat, Republican, Independent–makes no difference. They’re all made mostly of the same cloth. If I sound PO'd, I am! Oh yes, all you younger people please remember who is going to pay for this fiasco as well as all that other pork....you are!

Ho

Reply from Nancy:

Availability of reasonably priced prescription medication is a real issue, Uncle Mike, I know. Sorry that I touched a nerve. The attempt at levity was to point to our president’s complete inability to get across a single point. Or maybe, more sinisterly, it’s real obfuscation. I think the fundamental issue is that we should talk care of people when they are hurting or in need. That is consistent with our basic values and if we hold to those values, then we enact laws concerning health care and drug benefits that target those in need of health care, not those in need (supposed) of even greater profit.

Unfortunately, these are NOT the values of the people in power at the moment, which is why we continue to find ourselves in situations where we wonder, WHAT HAS HAPPENED? How is it that the republicans have succeeded in convincing us that we need tax “relief” as if paying for programs that help those in need is some sort of disease or afflication? How is it that ever greater numbers of our citizens cannot afford even basic health care? How can it be that we still have a significant poverty problem in this richest of all nations? I am afraid it is because all of us have bought into the notion that the cons have been selling for decades – that if everyone worked as hard as the conservatives purport to do (notwithstanding that much of their wealth is NOT earned), everyone would be able to take care of themselves; that if we reward the rich for their “hard work” somehow the poor will magically be pulled up….

OK I am rambling. Anyway, Uncle Mike I am sorry if what I thought was a sadly funny commentary on our leadership made you upset.

Love to all, nbg

Ho's reply:

Au contraire! Your words were but a trigger. I've been upset about the idiocy in Washington for many many years. I thought your commentary to be on the mark. I don't always agree with you, but I certainly do listen to what you say and value your opinion. You may even be surprised at how much of what ideas come from the liberal side of humanity I agree with. I see either side of the aisle as having a paucity of really creative ideas to deal with the multitudinous threats-- no-- menaces we now face with certainty. Mostly they deftly avoid even acknowledging these true menaces exist. In most things we may disagree on the method, and even on the reality of the situation, but are certainly close to congruent on the desired end results.

Ho goes on:

I reread your email and it triggered a more thoughtful response with some disagreement. I see little actual difference between the intentions or values of those now in power and their opposition. I have little respect for all but a very few members of our government including our elected representatives, aspiring or sitting executives, judges, et al regardless of their party affiliation. I have little real respect for many famous members of the entertainment industry including media, sports, TV, movie and music stars either. So many are active narcissists who are paid far too much money, get far too much attention, and have far too much influence over many Americans, particularly with respect to their true human value. I suppose, but don’t specifically know, there are probably many in the world of business who would fall under the same category. Unfortunately, they don’t usually get as much press as the others, Ken Lay and friends excepted.

Some months back I started writing a book, “Monkey Kings, Monkey People” to describe the interactions between those who control our society and those who are the subjects (or victims) of that control. Why, like pack animals, we have this social/political structural “worship” of heros, royalty, the famous, the beautiful, even the wealthy (“kings”) never ceases to befuddle me. Is it so prevalent among we humans that it must be genetically controlled? Is the political struggle for power between the left and right a human aping (how about that little dual meaning) of the well know troop conflict structures of many primates including monkeys, baboons and apes? Once I got into it I became so infuriated with what I discovered that I shelved the project for later.

Republican versus Democrat, Liberal versus Conservative, black versus white, religious versus atheist, you name it, all dichotomies of this type are never about or for the vast majority of the people, but are about who of the elevated, the leaders, the “kings” have the most power over those ignorant peasants. Each caters to their own political power. Historically, Democrats and liberals cater to the powerful in labor, government, entertainment and education. Republicans and conservatives cater to the powerful in business, religion and the military. Democrats purportedly love the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, the failures in life while Republicans treat the successful, wealthy and powerful with equal ardor.

The truth is that with very few exceptions, neither party gives a whit about the little guy on either side of the political fence. Their only concern (of most, not all) is money and power. The money to get and stay in office and the power to control the government. Literally all the conflicts are between the very powerful to see who can tell enough lies well enough and promise enough pork to get elected.

The thing that disappointed me so much was that the stupid Republicans, once they got in power, seemingly decided to do to the nation what the Democrats had been doing for the previous forty years. That is, write increasingly complex and intrusive laws to extract money from the general populace for their own very special interests. To me, the Democrats became masters of deception and duplicity by vastly expanding their power base, the government bureaucracy, at the expense of the real people of the country. They were buying their way into power using taxpayer dollars.

When the Republicans came into power I thought things would change, but they didn’t. These idiots seemed to think it was their turn to do the same thing the Democrats had been doing for so long. That damnable Rx Drug law is a classic example. The only difference between that and a Democrat version for the same purpose would be which group of power brokers got the money and the power.

Liberals, Republicans, conservatives, Democrats, by and large they’re all the same hateful, power hungry, self-serving, pseudo criminals wearing different colors and speaking different languages. This is such an abomination as to bewilder the mind of any logical, reasonable, pragmatic individual. Most certainly realize that the vast majority of political speech in this country is completely void of the real truth and couched, like a lawyer’s argument, strictly to make the desired point. I have found that there are real, practical, workable, creative systems out there, available from many intelligent, well-intentioned sources that could solve so many of our problems in ways so ingenious as to dazzle the mind. I have seen some and have written about others myself. Following is a small sample of what I am referring to.
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EXAMPLES:

For an in-depth overview of "The Tribrid Vehicle"- formerly titled, "The SUPER Hydrogen Economy" Click here!

”The Johnson Tax Code” - a revolutionary proposal that most politicians would be against since it is simple, would cost much less to administer and would help keep their hands out of the till. - Click here! for more information

”A New Solution to the Drug Problem” - an effective method for completely removing the financial incentive for illegal drug sales and the industry that flourishes in spite of “The War on Drugs.” - Click here! for more information

”A Solution to the Identity/Security Problem We can Live With” - one way to solve all kinds of identity problems that would satisfy Constitutional constraints and not force people to comply. - Click here! for more information

”Job Growth Indiana” How Indiana (Or any other state) can attract many new businesses, greatly increase job growth, and vastly increase state revenue without new taxes. - Click here! for more information

”The Antiquated Minimum Wage” - a proposal to correct the problems that costs jobs, drives industries out of the country, creates labor voids in some areas and doesn’t do what it is supposed to do in most of the country. - CLICK here to read HJ’s commentary about the negatives in the minimum wage law.
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Case in point, taxes. It is a firmly established and proven fact that judiciously lowering taxes, far from reducing government revenue, actually increases revenue because of increased economic activity. Yet the left steadfastly curses Republicans for lowering taxes. On the other side and in spite of increasing damage to our environment, Republicans refuse to promote proven environmental issues even when the economics favor them. Both are merely playing the political music their bases want to hear. Neither seem to recognize or care about the facts or the nation for that matter, but only for their own political bank roll. Or, can it be they are too ignorant to understand the situation?

Instead of real concern, we now have a liberal Democrat party willing to do anything including the destruction of our nation to regain the power they have lost. There is no longer any doubt in my mind but that given the same situation, Republicans would be just as evilly stupid. This hunger for power totally destroys or prevents any use of real reform to make things better.

There is one thing I know that bears on this problem. It is a fact proven over and over again to reasonable people. That is: no matter what the project or problem, private, individual and group effort will provide a solution better, faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more effective overall than any government. If you doubt that, look at China today. After languishing in the throes of depression for decades because of endless and futile government collective farms, their farm economy took off when the government noted that the people were producing more needed agricultural output than the huge collective farms on tiny, individual plots worked and harvested by individuals and small groups for their own profit. By changing to farm ownership and encouraging individual entrepreneurship, China began an economic growth spurt that is just now reaching momentous proportions. To some extent the Chinese government realized that relaxing control and encouraging individual enterprise had exactly the opposite effect predicted by the Maoists.

China is moving toward less control on individuals while our people are facing staggering increases in controls, reporting requirements, and disincentives for success. Indeed, we now seem bent on challenging and even despising excellence and success in many areas of our social/political structure, especially in our education system. There is no such anti-excellence attitude in China. Is it any wonder we seem headed for third-world mediocrity?

Yes, China is still burdened with a huge, corrupt bureaucracy, but at least they are moving slowly away from it while we seem doomed to move rapidly into it. Has our huge, overgrown bureaucracy reached the point where neither political party can afford to rein it in? Is government of the people by the government and for the government our future fate? Or are we already there?

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