Pompous bureacracy at its best: HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
On Neil Cavuto today, Cavuto opened a segment on Medicare Part D by saying that he understood that it was very complicated, then segued into his introduction of HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, calling him the White House's point-man on Medicare Part D.
When asked if Part D was complicated, Secretary Leavitt showed that he is just as disconnected from reality as that other Federal Michael so lately in the news, FEMA's Michael Brown.
This pompous, unctuous Michael told us that "some things in life are complicated. Registering your car is complicated Signing up for cable TV is complicated." So, Medicare Part D might be a little complicated, but that's okay. All you have to do is call Medicare and let them figure it out for you, or go to the Medicare website and let the website run the numbers for you. Sure, there are a couple of choices, but it's easy and everyone will benefit!
Well, clearly here is a man who never registered a car or signed up for cable TV service, and he sure as hell never tried using the Medicare website or talked to the poor folks answering Medicare's Part D question lines. If he had registered a car or signed up for cable TV service, there is no way he could have said, with a straight face, that researching a plan approved by Medicare Part D was no more complicated.
Oh. Wait. I forgot. He was appointed by President Bush. Silly me.
Well, then, it will do no good to complain, but, what the hell!
Michael Leavitt
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
202-690-7000
Toll Free to DHHS: 1-877-696-6775
Please be aware that mail sent to federal offices in the Washington D.C area offices takes an additional 3-4 days to process due to changes in mail handling resulting from the Anthrax crisis of October 2001.
In California, Mr. Secretary, there are 52 plans I have to checks out to see if any cover any of the maintenance drugs I must take daily. I must also see if any of those will cover some of the drugs I am likely to be prescribed in the next 12 months, as my doctor prescribes new treatment protocols to battle my infections.
So, the computer literate semi-geek that I am, I went to the Medicare.gov website last week and started trying to find my way around the system.
What I found was that the website wasn't working - it was making my type in my 8 drugs each time I wanted to check out a specific plan. So, I called Medicare and got a nice, very harried man who apologized for not being able to help me, but they only got to see for one half hour a couple of weeks ago the online system those of us with computer access are supposed to be using to "run the numbers".
So, I tried it again today. This time, I only had to type in my drugs once. I was then presented with the list of 52 plans, with the Medicare Advantage ones mixed in with the prescription drug-only plans.
Now, I'm real happy Medicare wants to respect my privacy, so that the identifying information I had to type in at the beginning of the process was (supposedly) discarded once the system determined what plans to present to me. But that also means that if I get tired out or the pain got to be too much, I'd loose all that input and data, and would have to key in all that information again the next time I was able to get to the computer, including typing in all my drugs and their doses, in order to bring up that list again, because there is no way to save it with all the hyperlinked information still available.
What I did was to go into all 52 plans (well, that's a lie - I skipped the four with the highest monthly premiums), expanded all "Show Details" links, and PDFd them.
I now get to sit down and try to figure out what it all means, including terms I have yet to see defined (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3). And try to figure out why most of the plans are not covering, or covering in Tier 2, inexpensive commonly and widely available generic muscle relaxers that I have to take every single day, drug that have no mood or mind altering side effects and are not horrendously expensive. Ditto thyroid hormones.
I will also have to go back online, input all the information again, so that I can get the same listing brought up again to look at all the information that was not printed out: notes linked under the plans' names and addresses; the lists of participating pharmacies, and other stuff available through drop-down menus I didn't take the time to figure out my first time around because, as it was, it had taken me nearly an hour just to do the input and PDF everything.
I have a much better idea, Mr. Leavitt. How about if I register your next car, and get your new cable service contract squared away, while you go through the 48 plans and my prescriptions and figure out which one both covers the most of my drugs at the best price for me. Sounds like a fair trade of services to me, given how complicated registering a car and ordering cable is…
Michael Leavitt
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
202-690-7000
Toll Free to DHHS: 1-877-696-6775
Please be aware that mail sent to federal offices in the Washington D.C area offices takes an additional 3-4 days to process due to changes in mail handling resulting from the Anthrax crisis of October 2001.
When asked if Part D was complicated, Secretary Leavitt showed that he is just as disconnected from reality as that other Federal Michael so lately in the news, FEMA's Michael Brown.
This pompous, unctuous Michael told us that "some things in life are complicated. Registering your car is complicated Signing up for cable TV is complicated." So, Medicare Part D might be a little complicated, but that's okay. All you have to do is call Medicare and let them figure it out for you, or go to the Medicare website and let the website run the numbers for you. Sure, there are a couple of choices, but it's easy and everyone will benefit!
Well, clearly here is a man who never registered a car or signed up for cable TV service, and he sure as hell never tried using the Medicare website or talked to the poor folks answering Medicare's Part D question lines. If he had registered a car or signed up for cable TV service, there is no way he could have said, with a straight face, that researching a plan approved by Medicare Part D was no more complicated.
Oh. Wait. I forgot. He was appointed by President Bush. Silly me.
Well, then, it will do no good to complain, but, what the hell!
Michael Leavitt
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
202-690-7000
Toll Free to DHHS: 1-877-696-6775
Please be aware that mail sent to federal offices in the Washington D.C area offices takes an additional 3-4 days to process due to changes in mail handling resulting from the Anthrax crisis of October 2001.
In California, Mr. Secretary, there are 52 plans I have to checks out to see if any cover any of the maintenance drugs I must take daily. I must also see if any of those will cover some of the drugs I am likely to be prescribed in the next 12 months, as my doctor prescribes new treatment protocols to battle my infections.
So, the computer literate semi-geek that I am, I went to the Medicare.gov website last week and started trying to find my way around the system.
What I found was that the website wasn't working - it was making my type in my 8 drugs each time I wanted to check out a specific plan. So, I called Medicare and got a nice, very harried man who apologized for not being able to help me, but they only got to see for one half hour a couple of weeks ago the online system those of us with computer access are supposed to be using to "run the numbers".
So, I tried it again today. This time, I only had to type in my drugs once. I was then presented with the list of 52 plans, with the Medicare Advantage ones mixed in with the prescription drug-only plans.
Now, I'm real happy Medicare wants to respect my privacy, so that the identifying information I had to type in at the beginning of the process was (supposedly) discarded once the system determined what plans to present to me. But that also means that if I get tired out or the pain got to be too much, I'd loose all that input and data, and would have to key in all that information again the next time I was able to get to the computer, including typing in all my drugs and their doses, in order to bring up that list again, because there is no way to save it with all the hyperlinked information still available.
What I did was to go into all 52 plans (well, that's a lie - I skipped the four with the highest monthly premiums), expanded all "Show Details" links, and PDFd them.
I now get to sit down and try to figure out what it all means, including terms I have yet to see defined (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3). And try to figure out why most of the plans are not covering, or covering in Tier 2, inexpensive commonly and widely available generic muscle relaxers that I have to take every single day, drug that have no mood or mind altering side effects and are not horrendously expensive. Ditto thyroid hormones.
I will also have to go back online, input all the information again, so that I can get the same listing brought up again to look at all the information that was not printed out: notes linked under the plans' names and addresses; the lists of participating pharmacies, and other stuff available through drop-down menus I didn't take the time to figure out my first time around because, as it was, it had taken me nearly an hour just to do the input and PDF everything.
I have a much better idea, Mr. Leavitt. How about if I register your next car, and get your new cable service contract squared away, while you go through the 48 plans and my prescriptions and figure out which one both covers the most of my drugs at the best price for me. Sounds like a fair trade of services to me, given how complicated registering a car and ordering cable is…
Michael Leavitt
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
202-690-7000
Toll Free to DHHS: 1-877-696-6775
Please be aware that mail sent to federal offices in the Washington D.C area offices takes an additional 3-4 days to process due to changes in mail handling resulting from the Anthrax crisis of October 2001.
posted by Melissa at 7:20 PM
4 Comments:
Melissa,
I think you might just be my twin and you didn't even know it. I tried to send you an email from the other site you have an unfortunately it was returned...danged technicality of emails and internet crapola anyways.
Just wanted to let you know I want to grow up to be you (minus fibro and CFS) if that's okay with you. I have it now and can identify with rantings and ravings...I do it regularly but I don't blog them it would piss somebody off. Who needs psycho pissed off people searching for you in Iowa? Not me!
I wish you the very best and you have totally made my boring evening into something completely different.
Thank you!
Patricia from Iowa
Talk about pompous bureacracy...what is going on with Medicaid and Medicare these days??? For anyone interested in healthcare reform or health care blogging, check out the latest words of wisdom from Newt Gingrich at http://consumerhealthworld.com/default.asp?Display=14.
I'd be interested in hearing your take on it. It seems like every time we plug a hole, another leak springs somewhere else.
Thanks, Heather, for that link to Transform It, Don't Reform It Medicaid Needs a New Structure and the Ability to Tap Technology. I think further distinctions need to be made in the disabled category, to address the needs and realities of those who are too sick to return to any level of work.
Medicaid isn't alone in needing to be re-visioned and restructured. Medicare, too, needs to be revamped, especially for those who are sick as well as elderly or under retirement age but disabled due to illness.
Both Medicare and Medicaid need payment restructuring so that quality physicians stop fleeing the system--or, as in the case where I live, moving away to other counties--because the reimbursement rates keep dwindling and CMMS keeps downgrading services and dictating to the physicians how they are to treat the patient, which is always to the patient's detriment.
Thanks, Heather, for that link to Transform It, Don't Reform It Medicaid Needs a New Structure and the Ability to Tap Technology. I think further distinctions need to be made in the disabled category, to address the needs and realities of those who are too sick to return to any level of work.
Medicaid isn't alone in needing to be re-visioned and restructured. Medicare, too, needs to be revamped, especially for those who are sick as well as elderly or under retirement age but disabled due to illness.
Both Medicare and Medicaid need payment restructuring so that quality physicians stop fleeing the system--or, as in the case where I live, moving away to other counties--because the reimbursement rates keep dwindling and CMMS keeps downgrading services and dictating to the physicians how they are to treat the patient, which is always to the patient's detriment.
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