Singing: We all know that the media is out to lunch.............Blah3

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Alter-Abled News

Medicare bill serves as a cure for an ailing system
By REP. GREG WALDEN
U.S. House, Second District
November 26

.......Seniors with incomes below $12,123 ($16,232 for couples) — more than 151,000 in Oregon will pay no premium for their prescription drug coverage and will have to pay only a nominal co-payment of $2 for generic drugs and $5 for brand name prescriptions. Oregonians with incomes below $13,470 ($18,180 for couples) will qualify for reduced premiums, lower deductibles and coinsurance, and no gaps in coverage.

And in a very important policy change, because Medicare will now cover the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, the Oregon Health Plan will save $279 million in the next 8 years. That’s a huge savings for the state’s landmark health plan, which has been forced to cut off some help to the poorest Oregonians.(link)

In contrast,.......................

Lost in the Fine Print: Ten Overlooked Policies That Harm Medicare and Its Beneficiaries

While many features of the Medicare Prescription Drug and Reform Conference Agreement (H.R. 1) have received considerable attention, some important provisions have gone relatively unnoticed. The following is a list of ten issues whose impact has been largely overlooked.
(link)

Around Blogtopia, more commentary on the Medicare Bill:

Mark Kleiman speaks.

Angry Bear growls.