Skimpy Medicare part of problem

I am compelled to add my 2 cents to the outrageous ideas expressed by the “Some elderly can’t empathize” letter. Not only is medical care not free for seniors (I pay almost $100 before I get my Social Security check), but also pay $202 per month for supplemental medical because no physician in the area will accept new Medicare patients due to the poor reimbursement provided by Medicare.

Having recently retired as a registered nurse, I believe that reimbursement is so skimpy that it leads doctors to order more tests, surgery, etc., just so they can keep their practices running. 

By the way, Part D is covered as follows (and this is the part they don’t tell you in advance): To the extent that when both you and your provider added together total $2,700, you are on your own (in the donut hole). Even your annual deductible of $295 gets added into the $2,700 and you get no help until you have spent $4,800 (catastrophic coverage).

So tell me, how long does the writer think it takes to get to the donut hole if one prescription costs $711? To add insult to injury, the suppliers of most prescriptions recently decided that Insulin N (NPH or semi-long acting insulin) and Insulin R (Regular insulin) are not generic but rather brand names since “there is no generic for insulin” and are charging a lot more than previously for insulins that have been around forever! 

I hope the letter writer will do some actual research in the future before castigating helpless seniors for things beyond their control.

Ellen Daley

Marysville