Latest Medicare Revision Cost to Seniors...

STARVATION!

Medicare Drug Program May Cut Into Food Aid
Low-Income Seniors Face Tough Choice Between Medicine, Food

June 11, 2004 -- One of the few areas of bipartisan agreement in the new Medicare prescription drug law is a $600-a-year benefit for low-income recipients. The law stipulates that the subsidy should not be used to decrease other federal benefits.

But administrators of the federal food stamp program say that while the $600 isn't counted as income, beneficiaries who receive it could see a reduction in their food aid.

As NPR's Julie Rovner reports, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture confirm that food stamps subsidies will be cut if seniors take advantage of the Medicare drug discount plan...

Note: This is a web tease from NPR on a story to break today. Stay tuned.

Related NPR "MediScare" links with audio:
Opposition to New Medicare Cards Grows on Hill
Cool reception to New Medicare Drug Cards
Puzzling through Medicare's Discount Cards

Personally, I don't see why the Bush revisions have been such a circus. I mean the highest levels of the Pharmaceuticals all counseled him. The big Drug Co's gave it their stamp of approval. It was rushed through the hill with bi-partisan support under the threat of being labeled anti-senior if you even questioned it. So why is this turning into such a mess? A mess you hardly ever hear about. It was on every outlet, all the time being championed as the greatest thing for seniors since the early bird special when Bush was railroading it through. Yet, now you have to actually know a Senior or listen to NPR to hear what a mess it's become?

Ah, the election year bill. Pushed out premature and asked to stand on it's own, then abandoned as quickly as concieved. It's the one night stand of politics. Where is this bill's dead beat dad anyway? Fix this mess Mr. Bush.

ADDITION: And I'll tell you why you have to go to NPR to even hear about this... Every other outlet in America relies on the multi-million dollar advertising budget of the Purple Pill, Viagra, Cialis, Allegra, Paxil and on and on....

LONG LIVE NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO!

[edit on 11-6-2004 by RANT]