Letter: Drug plan encourages gouging of seniors

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 | 8:28 a.m.

Lou deBottari, in his letter of Jan. 18, explains very well the stupidity and favoritism toward the HMOs and drug companies over the well-being, both medical and financial, of Medicare patients. The one and only problem with the drug industry is profiteering and the Bush administration is merely aiding and exacerbating the problem in their Medicare prescription drug plan.

The government, if anything, should be trying to hold down the price of medicine, but instead it is encouraging price gouging with this plan. Another serious problem with the plan is the means-test provision, which basically leaves millions of seniors just above the "poverty line" with a few modest savings at the mercy of the price gougers, whether they join the plan or not (causing their savings to evaporate till they are below the poverty line also).

Health care and medicine should never be treated as commodities to be used to maximize profit and the United States is the only modern industrialized country in the world where it is. The quicker that seniors vote the GOP out of office the better for them.

Daniel F. Olivier

Bullhead City, Ariz.