While Showering Big Pharma with Your Money Bush Leaves Seniors All Wet

Big, big government, conservative style. At least when the other side engages in big government programs, the programs are effective in serving the people they are designed to serve.

WASHINGTON - Some patients and doctors are facing a new problem with the fledgling Medicare prescription drug benefit: Medications they once received without question from other plans are being denied by the private insurers running the Medicare plan.

When they appeal the coverage denials, the patients and their physicians face confusing forms, time-consuming demands for personal medical information and long delays.

In some cases, the private plans won't cover the full dosage called for in a prescription or try to steer patients to drugs other than those prescribed by their doctors.

When disputes arise, doctors are asked to justify their prescribing decisions in writing, sometimes with patients' medical histories or test results as supporting evidence. Some plans even ask for doctors' notes or for peer-reviewed articles that justify their decisions.
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