Interesting contrast yesterday between two United States Senators in the way they are approaching the current glitches with the Medicare prescription drug benefit. A small percentage of beneficiaries have had difficulties at the pharmacy counter because a huge influx of enrollments on December 31 and the difficulty getting all of that data into computer systems. States and pharmacies are having to front the money to make sure these seniors get their prescriptions filled.
Senator John Thune took a no-nonsense approach, asking Medicare to make prompt reimbursements to pharmacies and state treasuries. From the Aberdeen American News:
"It is only right for CMS to facilitate reimbursements for the state and participating pharmacies," Thune said in a release. "I'm hopeful my request today will help to speed the process along."
Then there was Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, quoted in an AP story:
He (Reid) noted problems with the newly implemented Medicare prescription drug plan. "The state of our union today is that we have seniors begging in the streets for the medicines they need."
One wonders if, in Reid's home state of Nevada, Las Vegas gamblers are having to step around downtrodden elderly Americans holding up signs saying "Will Work For Prescription Drugs". There are legitimate discussions to be had about the role of the private sector in Medicare's long-term future, but over-the-top rhetoric suggesting that Medicare is turning U.S. cities into a caricature of Calcutta doesn't contribute to meaningful discourse.
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