The new program requires that people choose from literally dozens
of competing private insurance plans, and for some, the choices are too
many and too daunting. More than half of the poll’s respondents
note that the program, which began enrolling people at the beginning of
the New Year, is extremely difficult to understand. Seniors are
among those who are having the most trouble with Medicare’s new system.
While the survey polled individuals of all ages, two-thirds of seniors
surveyed and two-thirds of those who have signed up say they are
confused by the program, which was designed to help many save more
money on their prescription drugs.
Those who are not
well-educated or those who are not in full command of their faculties
are having the most trouble.
Pharmacists, who need to deal with the new system every day, find that
knowing all there is to know about the program can be quite a tall
order. Lester quotes Marlene Brantley, a pharmacist from
Arnaudville, La., who notes that it was easier to handle problems
caused by Hurricane Katrina than to understand the new Medicare system.
Brantley notes that there are “too many plans and too many lists of
available drugs, forcing pharmacists to spend a lot of time trying to
determine if people are eligible for a particular plan.”
Medicare spokesman Gary Karr said millions of people are getting their
prescription drugs through the new program, despite the glitches.
"We certainly acknowledge there have been some problems," Karr pointed
out. "This is a $30-$40 billion program. It's a big transition for many
people."
Karr stresses that the program will save consumers lots of money when
it comes to purchasing prescription drugs but the poll shows that those
using it are doubtful, Lester notes. Six in 10 people who
took part in the poll said they have noticed no significant savings.
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