From the Road: Journal Entries from the Campaign Trail

Scott Talks Health Care With Grand Island Seniors
2006-04-28

During a April 17 visit to Grand Island, Scott addressed a large lunch-time crowd at the Grand Generation Center (see Grand Island Independent article in news room). He heard from seniors and center staff alike concern that access to health care has deteriorated in the 3rd district.

Seniors said they had been baffled by the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Many criticized the implementation of the program, which they said left far too much room for seniors to choose a plan that would not ultimately serve their interests. “When you get ready to choose a plan, they ask you what your medicines are,” said Buzz Ranslem. “Well, your meds aren’t always the same one month to the next. So you can’t really give a good answer to the question.” Ranslem said he knew people who chose a certain plan only to find out later that medicines they needed were not covered by that plan.

Scott told seniors that he believed they should be allowed to change plans once at any time during their first year of enrollment, so that no one would be stuck with a plan that fails to meet their needs. He said the plan also could have done much more to reduce the cost of prescription drugs if it had allowed the federal government to negotiate with drug companies for lower rates. Instead, the law specifically prohibits the government from negotiating with the drug companies.

Scott also heard from Linda Smith, 51, who works in the kitchen at the Grand Generation Center. Smith is diabetic and has high blood pressure. She said she could not possibly pay for her health care needs without Medicaid and worries what would happen if she lost Medicaid coverage.

The cost of health insurance has risen 80 percent in Nebraska in just the last five years. There are 197,000 uninsured in Nebraska, up 43,000 since 2000.

"There is no question that our nation faces a crisis in access to health care," Scott said. "Employers are getting out of the business of providing health care, because the costs are too high. We cannot allow that to happen. More than half of Nebraskans today rely on employer-based health insurance."

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