Letters
Savings
All Americans, not just AARP members, deserve affordable health care choices, including affordable prescription drugs. However, mid-life and older Americans claim the majority of chronic health conditions and often need multiple prescriptions. Therefore, AARP is asking Congress to close the doughnut hole as part of health care reform. Doing so is critical to lowering out-of-pocket costs for older adults.
The doughnut hole, or coverage gap reached by some Medicare Part D enrollees, causes them to pay full price for prescriptions while they continue to pay their Medicare Part D plan premium. More than 84,000 Arkansans fall into the doughnut hole each year, as do more than 3 million people nationwide. So AARP created a tool to help people in Medicare especially those 75 years young or more who are most likely to fall into the coverage gap. AARP's online Doughnut Hole Calculator shows enrollees a list of potential generic drugs that could substitute for brand name drugs.
Switching to a generic drug, while in the doughnut hole, could lower prescription costs and keep Medicare prescription drug beneficiaries out of the doughnut hole or extend the time before they reach it. Of course, a doctor must approve any substitutions.
Medicare enrollees as well as their friends and relatives who help them access their Medicare benefits, can visit www.aarp.org/doughnuthole to learn about potential savings on prescription drugs.
To help AARP lower prescription drug costs for all Americans as part of health care reform, go to www.healthactionnow.org.
Jerry Lancaster
Conway
Equality
I saw an ad on TV today that "government-run health care" was wrong and would lead to a disaster.
I agree wholeheartedly.
But the ad didn't go far enough.
All of our elected national officials receive totally free health care, paid for by our taxes.
By several admissions, if Dick Cheney hadn't had government health care, he would have had a fatal heart attack over a decade ago.
If that government health care hadn't been there, he might not have pushed to invade Iraq, and 4,000 troops would be alive today.
So if it's so bad, when will our elected officials give up their government-run health care?
Mike Curtis
Greenbrier