Medicare
Drug Plan may hurt WI seniors
Tens of thousands of seniors living on modest incomes in Wisconsin
may wind up paying more for their medications under the new Medicare
prescription drug plan than those purchased from the WI run
SeniorCare program. By one estimate, someone with an income of
$14,987 a year, who spends $250 a month on prescription drugs under
SeniorCare, would spend about $1,300 a year under the new Medicare
benefit.
The
SeniorCare program is designed to help seniors with incomes less
than $15,300 pay high drug costs, and is funded by a mix of federal
and state money, annual fees and co-pays. Wisconsin hopes to offer
SeniorCare as an alternative to enrolling in a Medicare prescription
plan, but is still awaiting federal approval. To win federal
approval they must show that SeniorCare won’t cost more than the
Medicare benefit.
“Let’s hope this doesn’t set the stage for what’s to come,” said
Ruben Burks,
Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Successful programs that
today save seniors money on their prescription drugs should not be
shut down just so this administration can claim more enrollees in
theirprogram.”.”