Wednesday, September 06, 2000
These seniors to believe Rx help when it happens
By Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sam Reece, 74, was getting ready to get a $150 prescription filled Tuesday when he heard about a proposal that would help senior citizens buy prescription drugs.
This was a plan announced by presidential candidate George W. Bush that called for the federal government to pay 25 percent of the drug costs for all seniors making more than $19,700 a year, with more subsidies for those earning less.
When asked about the plan, Mr. Reece said he didn't believe it would ever happen.
“This would be a nice thing if it happened,” said Mr. Reece as he began to tally up his bill.
“My medicine bill runs about $5,000 a year. I have one prescription that would cost me $500 to fill, but I can't afford to fill it.”
Mr. Reece, of Forest Park, said he has to take prescription drugs for blood sugar, heart problems and high blood pressure.
Many local seniors like Mr. Reece are weighing proposals offered by both Mr. Bush and Vice President Al Gore. Seniors said they welcomed any kind of assistance to battle the skyrocketing cost of medicine.
“Every senior in America will be able to afford prescription drug coverage,” Mr. Bush said in a speech at a senior citizens center in Allentown, Pa.
His plan calls for providing $110 billion to make changes in Medicare, the health insurance plan for the elderly, and another $48 billion over four years in direct grants to states to help them provide drug coverage for poor people on Medicare.
Mr. Gore's plan would pay half the price of Medicare recipients' prescription drugs up to $5,000 a year, and all expenses above $5,000 at a cost to the government of $250 billion over 10 years.
“Any help I can get would be a blessing,” said Gloria Miles, 60, of Walnut Hills.
She has to take 14 pills a day, averaging a cost of about $200 a month, for diabetes, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms.
Sonny Davis, 70, of Avondale, would love to see a plan that would help him pay for medicine for kidney and prostate problems, which average about $50 each time he gets a prescription filled.
But he doesn't think it will ever happen.
“Where are they suddenly going to get all these billions of dollars when they haven't done it before?” he said. “The Republicans have been in charge of Congress for the last eight years and no such plan ever got through. I will believe it when I see it.”
Mary Kelly, 62, of Avondale was particularly interested in a section of Mr. Bush's plan that would cover the full cost of medicine of Medicare premiums for those at or below 135 percent of the poverty line — $11,300 for an individual or $15,200 for couples.
She falls below those figures with her $10 a month in food stamps and $504 a month in Social Security disability payments.
Under this plan, Ms. Kelly is among 6 million seniors nationwide who would pay nothing for their drug coverage.
“That would help because I am paying about $146 a month for blood sugar and heart pills,” she said. “But I still don't trust Bush.”
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