Letter: Governor’s prescription plan a big help

Friday, May 4, 2001 | 4:11 a.m.

I'm writing in response to the Sun's May 1 editorial about improving our prescription drug program for seniors. I am an 82-year old senior very happily enrolled in Gov. Kenny Guinn's Senior Rx plan. I take 10 different medications every day and use three different kinds of eye drops that altogether were costing me more than $2,600 every three months. I live on a fixed Social Security income of less than $1,000 a month, so you can see I had little left over to pay for necessities. Senior Rx reduced my three-months' worth of prescriptions down to an affordable level. My doctor wants me to take mostly brand-name drugs, and I'm concerned that you endorsed another prescription drug plan over the governor's. The governor's plan, after all, is already up and running and providing benefits for many people like me.

For the last couple of years I've had to save up money to pay for my prescriptions and I've even had to ask my children for help. I'm a lot more independent now with Senior Rx and I even have a little extra money to help me enjoy my "golden years" a little more. I read that the governor is even trying to make Senior Rx better and even more affordable for seniors like myself, and I sure hope that works because I need help now and I'm getting it now.

I tell all my friends to sign up and see if they qualify because it has really made things a lot easier for me financially and I know it can do the same for others.

TONY WEBER