Another Broken Promise

As many as four million senior citizens will have to switch their prescription drug coverage next year due to government manipulation of the health insurance industry, a new study has found.

Obviously that’s bad news for U.S. President Barack Obama – who repeatedly promised Americans during the debate over his socialized medicine law that people who liked their health care plans would be able to keep them.

Apparently not …

From the Associated Press:

A new analysis by a leading private research firm estimates that more than 3 million beneficiaries will see their current drug plan eliminated as Medicare tries to winnow down duplicative and confusing coverage, in order to offer consumers more meaningful choices. Instead of 40 or more plans in each state, beneficiaries would pick from 30 or so.

“As a result of this policy, there are going to be fewer plans offered in 2011,” said Bonnie Washington, a senior analyst with Avalare Health, which produced the study. “There is still going to be robust choice for beneficiaries, but those who have to change plans could experience some disruption and inconvenience.”

While seniors would not lose Medicare coverage, they could see changes in their premiums and copayments.

Hmmm … amazing what happens when government tries to lend a helping hand, isn’t it?

Medicare has already notified insurers they will no longer be able to offer more than one “basic” drug plan in any given location. Several major prescription plans, including CVS-Caremark and AARP, offered two basic options throughout the country this year, Washington said. Eliminating that particular kind of duplication would force 2.75 million beneficiaries to find new coverage, according to Avalere’s estimate.

When other changes are taken into account, as many as 3.7 million Medicare recipients may have to switch, the analysis concluded. That’s about 20 percent of the 17.5 million enrolled in stand-alone drug plans.

The government’s response?

“We are not reducing the number of quality plans,” a Medicare administrator said.

Republicans in Washington pounced on the revelation.

“This is just the latest in a series of independent analyses debunking the misleading claims made by the administration when it was pitching this health spending bill,” GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell wrote in an op-ed piece Thursday.