Posted At Toledo Blade
BY : Luke Shockman
If you're a senior citizen who is utterly confused by Medicare's new prescription drug program, don't fret. You've got lots of company.
A nationwide survey released last week indicates most seniors don't understand the rules, and so far only 20 percent have decided to take part in the drug program, which seniors can begin enrolling in today.
If the program were a political election held today, "a lot of people would not turn out," said Robert Blendon, a health policy professor at Harvard University.
Harvard and the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed 800 seniors about the Medicare drug program in late October and the results were not promising: Thirty-seven percent of those polled said they would not sign up, and 43 percent said they hadn't decided what to do."Older people, if they're not sure or confused, what they do is stop. They don't do anything," Mr. Blendon said.
"In a nutshell, it's just too complicated," said Blanche Lavery, 73, who was enjoying lunch at the Sylvania Senior Center yesterday with her husband, John."My husband has a mechanical engineering degree and a MBA [Masters of Business Administration], and he can't understand it."
The survey results and comments like Mrs. Lavery's don't surprise Gary Panek, who manages Ohio's Golden Buckeye program, a state senior citizen discount program.
"The comments we're hearing are still, It's too confusing and it's too many choices,'" he said. "It's difficult for me to say what will happen, but my guess is most people will say, It's not for me.'"
And that's too bad, Mr. Panek and others knowledgeable about the drug program say. Despite the hassle, once one wades through the maze of confusing rules, it can really pay off.
"I did the process for my Mom and Dad and they were both spending about $1,500 a year on drugs, 11 generic and one brand-name. I didn't think they'd save much, but they're going to end up saving 50 percent," Mr. Panek said.
Even the Laverys, certainly no fans of the confusing rules, expect to save about $2,000 annually if Mr. Lavery's calculations are correct. It was "frustrating" wading through the rules, but Mr. Lavery said he's glad he did.
Ann Womer Benjamin, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, is pleading with the state's 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries to give the prescription discount program a chance.
"This is a benefit, you might as well take advantage of it," she said, adding that anyone with questions should call the state's toll free hotline at 1-800-686-1578.
More than 100 meetings around the state where seniors can come and get more information, talk to someone in-person, and sign up for a discount drug program are being scheduled. None has been set in northwest Ohio so far, though the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio has scheduled some events.
Mr. Panek said he's spending a lot of time trying to calm the fears of seniors.
"We're telling people that even though it's Nov. 15, don't rush. Talk to your family over the holidays," he said, noting that seniors have until May 15 to sign up without penalty.
While he also urges seniors to take time to examine options available, Professor Blendon said it's obvious to anyone who has helped senior citizens that the program is just too complicated for its own good.
"My belief is this bill passed as a huge political compromise and after awhile, how it worked got to be less important," he said. "It's obvious those who wrote this bill didn't know about seniors."
One example? The government's continued push for seniors to rely on its www.medicare.gov Web site. Great idea, except for the fact that most seniors don't use computers.
Ultimately, Mr. Blendon predicts those who passed the bill thinking seniors would be thanking them for delivering drug coverage could end up feeling the wrath of seniors at the voting booth.
Although many seniors may not "vote" for Medicare drug coverage, he said you can bet a lot of seniors will certainly be voting or not voting for politicians who came up with the Medicare prescription drug program.
