One Pissed Off Tirade About Medicare D Coverage

Mother was 90 yesterday. She didn't seem excited about it one way or the other. Several friends stopped by with cakes, cards and balloons. Even a cone-shaped birthday hat. Tiger, Tiger managed to rip part of the bottom off, chew away most of the top and plant claw marks in the remainder.

The back problem continues. Again, pain relieving creams appear to offer the best relief. Massage, heating pads, pain pills and muscle relexants offer some very limited comfort, but she says the creams work the best.

I keeping opening doors and windows in some vain attempt to clear the house of the smell of pungent ointments. I even bought a candle that offers the scent of "waterfall." Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of the smell of "waterfall."

A listing came in the mail today about Medicare D coverage. This booklet indicates which drugs are covered and their tier level. I didn't realize the some drugs are not covered period. Which means you pay the full price. Last week, I renewed mother's Catapres Patch: the box of four cost $100, which struck me as a horrific price. But I see why now, her Medicare D coverage does not cover it.

A quick review of the listing tells me that 6 or 7 of her medications are not covered. Period!

There's a very strange clause in the plan that says that once your yearly drug costs (paid by both you abd the plan) equal $2,250, you then pay 100% of all drug costs until the total costs equal $3,600, at which point a new copay scheme kicks in.

In trying to minimize this problem, I signed mother up for a plan that covers this gap. But in reading the fine print, it will only pay for drugs in the lowest tier. For anything above that, you pay the full 100%.

This is absolutely fucking insane! It borders on the criminal. Shame on the Bush administration. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

George W babbles on about the need to torture suspects to prevent terrorism. Who in Gawd's name is going to protect us from the terrorism he is inflicting on Americans?!

PAX!