American HealthLine, a publication of The National Journal tracked these op-ed pieces:
* Kansas City Star: "It is hard to believe that even the federal government could have done such a terrible job launching the new Medicare drug benefit," a Star editorial states, adding, "What a disaster." According to the editorial, the U.S. "needs a drug benefit that is easier for people to use, more logical in its coverage and far less generous to the drug companies" (Kansas City Star, 1/24).
* Springfield Republican: The Medicare prescription drug benefit "has been a disaster," and the "problems with the ... program cannot be easily fixed" because they are "systemic, not cosmetic," a Republican editorial states. (Springfield Republican, 1/22).
* Washington Examiner: The "new program was ... supposed to save the states money in matching funds," but "now state officials are fronting the money themselves, only to be told that they will have to go through the private insurers to get it back because Medicare officials have no statutory authority to pay them directly," an Examiner editorial states. The editorial adds, "No way! Medicare officials failed to make sure this overly complicated program was working properly, so it's up to them to make sure that localities are reimbursed for covering their mistake" (Washington Examiner, 1/23).
* Washington Post: "Many of the problems that have plagued the new Medicare drug benefit since its launch ... were not only predictable but predicted," a Post editorial states. Although the Medicare prescription drug benefit "could succeed -- or at least become cheaper and more efficient with time" -- the program "hasn't gotten off to a good start, and the politicians who legislated it should try hard to understand why," the editorial concludes (Washington Post, 1/24).
Opinion Pieces
* Maine Rep. Hannah Pingree (D), Bangor Daily News: "Congress and the president need to take a hard look at this new benefit and decide whether this plan, which benefits drug companies and insurance companies over American seniors, is working." (Pingree, Bangor Daily News, 1/21).
* Rev. Jesse Jackson, Chicago Sun-Times: "Hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens have found themselves cut off from prescriptions paid for by Medicaid and unable to obtain essential medicines," Jackson writes in a Sun-Times opinion piece. According to Jackson, "Seniors are paying the price in confusion, catastrophic drug cutoffs and escalating drug prices," as "American taxpayers pay for the costliest health system in the world, with the worst health results in the industrial world." (Jackson, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/24).
Posted by schwitz at January 24, 2006 03:41 PM | TrackBack