Who Do You Turn To . . .
When an expert can't help you?


In my hometown newspaper (The Raleigh News & Observer) there is a great piece on the new Medicare drug benefit Medicare's prescription for confusion by Jonathan Oberlander, associate professor of social medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill and author of "The Political Life of Medicare." I first looked at it because my husband and I have been trying to figure out what he will choose, and I thought, "At last, someone with the knowledge to help us." WRONG! Oberlander anticipates his own family wanting his advice and notes:

I have already prepared a pre-cooked Thanksgiving message for my family and their friends who mistakenly think that because I study Medicare I can help them: "I love you but I don’t know what drug plan you should choose. Now please pass the stuffing."

He then explains the problem:

Starting today, 42 million Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for the program’s new drug benefit. That should be cause for celebration, marking an long-overdue expansion of Medicare 40 years in the making.

There is only one problem: nobody understands the new benefit.

Istead of simply offering drug coverage through the federal government, as is now the case with Medicare insurance for hospital and physician services, the Medicare drug benefit must be purchased from a private insurance company. The theory is that competition and choice of private plans will save money and allow people to select insurance that best fits their individual circumstances. The reality is that Medicare beneficiaries are about to begin the most maddening shopping experience of their lives.

[. . . .]

Federal officials explain that the dizzying array of private insurance options is better than having a "one size fits all" government program.They have a point: who in their right mind would want a single, understandable and comprehensive government program when you can choose from dozens of complicated private plans with incomplete coverage?

Each Medicare drug plan has a different combination of premiums, co-payments and deductibles. The plans also have varying formularies, meaning that they cover different drugs, so beneficiaries must carefully select plans that carry the medications they presently use.

Oberlander, however, points out there are some benefits to the byzantine system that favors the "ailing" pharmaceutical and insurance industries.

I suggest that younger Americans look on the bright side: revel in this new opportunity for family bonding and think about how much easier doing your taxes is going to seem after you hear about your parents' Medicare struggles.

So put down that remote and turn off the football games, forget about the post-Thanksgiving sales and movies you have been waiting to see and get ready to curl up by the computer with your parents and the federal government's online Medicare Prescription Drug Finder.

Happy Thanksgiving.

It is really hard to believe, but the crazy patchwork we call health care in this country has just become a little crazier.