[Sidney Lanier]

Our Medicare plan plus Medicare Supplement Plan F (ours is Mutual of Omaha) are fantastic! We pay premiums for both, of course, but we have not had to pay anything out of pocket from the time we've had both plans in effect.

On the other hand, when Congress and the president were creating the Part D Prescription Plan, which requires a third premium for health coverage in addition to the above two, even though we had an excellent prescription drug plan that was part of our health coverage (an employment benefit before we were Medicare eligible), I was already railing against it, as it was clear what a nightmare it was going to be. Part D basically rewards the pharmaceutical and insurance industries and does not support us enrollees.

Do you know, for example, that the drug companies are allowed to charge whatever they want with no restrictions on their pricing, in contrast, say, to Canada where the companies are required by the government to negotiate lower prices based on bulk purchases? No wonder our government had to make it illegal--yes, actually illegal!--to fill our prescriptions in Canadian pharmacies?

And do you know that once you enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan, which is now required by Medicare, you are locked in for the year no matter what (unless you move to an area not serviced by your particular plan), and you cannot make a change until the following open enrollment period (November 15-December 31)?

And do you also know that while you are stuck with that company for the year, the insurance companies are given carte blanche to make whatever changes they wish to, including dropping from their formulary covered drugs that you specifically chose that company for? In fact, the only thing they cannot change is the annual premium (at least for that year; the following year they can do whatever they want in terms of premium)!

Unbelievable....