April is going to be a troublesome period because of a convergence of a number of factors. |
I don't see how (Medicare) can get away with saying it's a wash. The plans might use different mechanisms, but they are going to bring costs up for people. |
Part of the problem is that they are trying to pitch something to seniors before they need it. They are kind of putting the cart before the horse. To the extent that people don't know what [the drug benefit] is, they are not going to want to bother with this extra help. |
The fear is many people are unaware the drugs they are currently taking are not covered by their plan. |
The great concern is that people aren't going to be aware the drug they are taking is not covered, and they are going to end up getting told at the pharmacy. |
The real fear is people will have interruptions in their coverage, that people will not be able to access the medications they need. |
There's such a thing as too much choice. If you give seniors a bunch of choices as opposed to a few, their typical reaction is to throw up their hands and take no choices. |
This whole thing is like an onion. The more you peel, the more you cry. |
You have coverage, but you might not have the right coverage. |
You shouldn't rely on marketers to give you completely unbiased information about your choices. That's not to dissuade people from going to these things. But they need to supplement those sessions with information from a trusted source. |