Technological advances have made pharmaceuticals central to quality medical care. As prescription drug costs have risen steadily, those who lack comprehensive drug coverage are becoming increasingly vulnerable. While data suggest that almost 35 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have coverage for prescription drugs, this number is misleading. Additionally, the coverage that is available for seniors, including Medigap coverage, can be quite limited with substantial cost-sharing. Medicaid protects the lowest income beneficiaries, and some states have created state-only programs to assist with the cost of drugs, but this isn t enough.
All seniors are vulnerable if the cost of prescription drugs continues to rise.
Our challenge for this coming year will be to provide a drug benefit in the Medicare program that will provide dependable, meaningful assistance for all beneficiaries. Consumers want assurances that information about their financial matters is kept confidential. They want to know with whom that information is shared and they want the ability to refuse to share it. Consumers want these same principles to apply to their medical records, yet protections for this most personal type of information are virtually non-existent. There are no guarantees that consumers medical records will not be inappropriately disclosed without their knowledge and consent.