Medicare discount drug card savings are an illusion

If that's a significant "savings," then I'm Jimmy Carter. Besides, people can actually get their prescription drugs much cheaper through online pharmacies, and without all the paperwork hassle from Medicare.

The discount card is really only designed to give consumers the illusion of savings so they'll stop noticing the sky-high prescription drug prices they're actually paying. It's a well-planned diversion that helps ensure people keep paying ridiculous prices for dangerous drugs.

• WASHINGTON An independent analysis says the Bush administration's new Medicare discount drug cards can help Americans save money on most retail prescriptions.
• But a Kaiser Family Foundation study says with more than five dozen drug cards to choose from, older or disabled Americans end up confused.
• Enrollment in the government's two-month-old program has been limited for that reason.
• Still, more than four (m) million people have drug cards.
• But most were automatically enrolled by their H-M-O's.
• The study looked at prices for ten popular medicines -- including cholesterol-reducing Lipitor, the painkiller Celebrex and osteoporosis drugs.
• The Bush administration's savings promises held for those drugs.
• Using mail-order services, the drug cards were up to a third cheaper than retail prices.
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