Cunning Plan

[akirlu]

Today is the last day for senior citizens to sign up for the new "drug benefit" plan if they want it, and so NPR is doing a piece on it, and I hear, for the first time in my recollection, this fascinating little facty nugget: the only way you can do a full benefits comparison between the available plans is via the internet. Let me repeat that. This is a program that's aimed at seniors. And the only way they can fully inform themselves is via a technology that, statistically, they are the least likely age cohort to be conversant with? Apparently they could also phone up a helpline and someone at the other end could get online and do the research *for* them, but other than that, too bad, so sad folks.

Who thinks this shit up?

Comments

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

People who assume that seniors all have:

1. enough disposable income to have a computer

and

2. the know-how to use said computer in an intelligent fashion

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

or 3. someone to help them.

[the-gardener.livejournal.com]

More likely:

4. People who want to make it as difficult as possible to make such comparisons, in order to continue driving down public expenditure, because they are fundamentally selfish.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

True, that...

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, there is also, in some places, a good chance that they could use a computer at the local library, but even this makes a number of assumptions about the mobility and technical savvy of a group of people who are most likely to have limitations on both those traits. And at least at my local library, computer time per day is limited by a gatekeeper software that shuts you out when your time is done. So ya also gotta be speedy with the net-browsing, comparison shopping, evaluating thing, or you'll have to start over again the next day. And even my entirely net-savvy mother-in-law is not so speedy when it's time to comparison shop. Luckily, she has her own computer.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

I'm actually surprised that the GPO isn't sending out a mailing to all citizens age 65 or over.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I'll go surprised one better. I'm shocked. Even if it was only a post-card mailing to offer to mail a hardcopy version of the full run-down and cost comparison to those who preferred to receive it that way, they certainly should have offered an alternative for the net-disabled.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

Considering how much of a windfall for the drug companies this new plan is, you'd think they'd be making it as easy as possible to sign up.

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

This program was never about helping seniors: it was a handout to Big Pharma disguised as a benefit.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, I know, but as holyoutlaw points out, even as a windfall to Big Pharma it's a bit of a bungle job since you'd think they'd want to make it as easy as possible for people to get signed up for the program.

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

AstraZeneca supported, you guessed it, a _web site_ called medicarematters with the national council on the aging.

Outreach is a huge deal when it comes to the elderly and nobody is doing it right. "Let's design a website!" Grrr.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I received several marketing plans in the mail from local pharmacies/HMOs but it was clear that staying with Kaiser's Plan D was the best for me. Still not really good</>, since I'm already halfway through to the "donut hole," but at least Kaiser's donut hole is smaller than most.

Locally, volunteers held help sessions at the libraries and senior centers and community centers, etc.

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

I just spent about 30 or 40 minutes signing my mother up for this stuff. I had all the information ready--that took some doing, since I'm in NY and she's in MD. I would've liked to have time to do it on the Internet, but I'm sure it would've taken even longer there. But yeah--my mother is still compos mentis, but she's 88, bedridden, more or less blind, and tires easily. And refused, even when she was a bit healthier, to have anything to do with PCs--probably a blessing, given her mail-order habits; eBay could've been a disaster.

[ssprince.livejournal.com]

My shrink said to my counselor that I seemed to be the only client who had figured out Medicare Part D, but I felt like I was choosing by throwing darts, and the troubles aren't over because the insurance is trying to bill me for what was supposed to be taken out of my SSDI direct deposit. But in the short run it's nice to pay the pharmacy $10/month instead of $100s out of pocket.

I keep meaning to post about the darts game.

And by the way, happy birthday.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday! I hope it's a good day and a good year!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Thank you!