Prescription benefit survey finds sick, poor having more problems

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 80 percent of those enrolled in Medicare drug plans are satisfied with their choice, although fewer than half of the beneficiaries report saving any money, a survey says.
Almost two in 10 people, or 18 percent, reported major problems with their plans, according to Thursday's survey. It was the latest in a series of surveys on the drug benefit by the Kaiser Family Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif.
Problems reported by people 65 and older included unexpected costs, inability to get prescriptions filled immediately and having to switch drugs.
More worrisome was that 27 percent of older people in fair or poor health reported experiencing major problems, compared with 12 percent of those in excellent or very good health, said Drew Altman, the health research foundation's president and chief executive.
The poor, along with people who take six or more prescription drugs a day, also reported higher rates of problems with the program.
"It's certainly not the catastrophe many critics had predicted it would be, but there definitely are significant problems," Altman said.
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