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Seniors are Being Warned to 'Look Before They Leap' Into the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, Beware of the Potential 'Bait and Switch'Posted by Randy on: 2005-10-14 07:28:19 in category:
Retirement Headlines [ Print | Permalink / 0 Comment(s) ] Seniors are Being Warned to 'Look Before They Leap' Into the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, Beware of the Potential 'Bait and Switch' WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- With the announcement by the Center for Medicare Services that 10 companies will be providing Part D plans nationwide, along with numerous other companies providing plans regionally, http://www.UniversalDrugStore.com is advising seniors to be cautious and aware before agreeing to sign up for a plan. "It is the old adage, 'look before you leap', because once a plan is chosen you will be locked in until the enrollment period the following year," explains Jeff Uhl, President and CEO of http://www.UniversalDrugStore.com. "All the while the plan provider has the right to switch details of the plan at any time, including which drugs will be covered, but you are still committed into this potentially substandard plan for at least a year," Uhl says. "This is just one of a series of ways that the legislation authorizing the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan was written to benefit drug companies, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers," says Uhl. "That is why we feel that PDP stands for Prescription Drug Profits not Prescription Drug Plan." Uhl says that the announcement that there will be many different plans, varying from state to state with up to 37 plans in some states, illustrates the maze of confusion that could have potentially harmful effects upon America's elderly. "It's similar to the old 'bait and switch' of a disreputable business that lures customers in with a promise of a certain priced good or service and then deftly switches the arrangement to their advantage," Uhl says. Because of that, http://www.UniversalDrugStore.com is stepping up its outreach to America's seniors to illustrate to them that there are options and to not buckle to the increased pressure to join a plan that may not be to their advantage. Starting November 15, 2005, intense pressure and campaigning will begin for these ill conceived plans, causing some seniors to become anxious, especially when they discover how complex the decisions will be. "It is beyond belief that the Medicare Office is threatening to increase premiums for those seniors who delay joining a plan after May 2006," states Uhl. "However, it is clear that seniors will save the most on their prescription drugs by continuing to purchase prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies until that May 2006 deadline. "Ironically, many seniors will continue to save more by purchasing their prescription drugs from licensed Canadian pharmacies, even if they join a plan and pay the lowest possible premium, than they would if they purchased their drugs through Medicare Part D plans," Uhl explains. Uhl points to other problems that could create difficulties for Seniors because of the large number of plans being offered: 1. Will a plan cover the beneficiary if they travel outside their plan's coverage region? 2. Will your regular pharmacy be included in the plans network of pharmacies or will the beneficiary have to purchase from a designated pharmacy? 3. Will all the medications you require be covered, and how will the plan guarantee access to your drugs when plan administrators have the right to change the plan and the terms of coverage at any time? 4. Since Congress defeated moves to negotiate lower prices, how will the price for a prescription drug be determined? Will they follow the current pattern in which drug companies continue to raise the prices of drugs in the U.S. significantly more than the rate of inflation? "American seniors are guaranteed a much more solid, yet flexible 'plan' by working with a licensed Canadian pharmacy, such as Universal Drugstore, than can be offered by any Medicare Part D prescription drug plan," Uhl says. "We are proud that http://www.UniversalDrugStore.com covers seniors wherever they might be located, with no restrictions on access based on geographic designations," Uhl states. "There are other advantages to continuing to purchase prescription drugs from Canada: Seniors have freedom of choice in selecting us or another pharmacy. We continue to offer all prescription drugs available, even in light of attempts by large drug companies to restrict America's elderly access to vital prescriptions. And, finally, our prices are based upon the Canadian pricing system which makes it impossible for large drug companies to arbitrarily set prices that place profits before people," Uhl says. "That is why we are confident that large numbers of America's seniors will make the smart choice and continue to purchase prescription drugs from safe, reliable Canadian pharmacies such as ours as a better option to the flawed Pandora's Box called Medicare Part D." SOURCE Universal Drugstore Ltd Web Site: http://www.universaldrugstore.com Business open community website http://www.business-business.biz Submit articles http://www.business-business.biz/submitstory.php Retirement forum http://www.business-business.biz/forums.php Retirement open community website http://www.retirement-retirement.com Submit articles http://www.retirement-retirement.com/submitstory.php Retirement forum http://www.retirement-retirement.com/forums.php Investment open community website http://www.investment-investment.us Submit articles http://www.investment-investment.us/submitstory.php Investment forum http://www.investment-investment.us/forums.php |
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