Much Ado Somewhere Else

From the bits and pieces I hear, the Conquest of Iraq seems well able to continue its degenerative path without me. I don't feel as compelled to write about it anymore, because the essentials of my predictions are borne out everyday. Today, the Bandit said the pre-war Intelligence was wrong, and finally acknowledged guilt for starting the war. That's nice. The only trouble is all those people who got killed for nothing.

Bandit-think: He hasn't said he lied about the war, which I think he did. Someone else was responsible, and I bet whoever that poor fall guy is will live to regret it.

I wonder how we get our $477 billion back on this illegal war? And, why is no one screaming IMPEACH! IMPEACH! IMPEACH! Now it seems like we have a clear cut case of negligent misfeasance in office, even if we cannot prove outright malfeasance.

But I leave it to you, the people. I did my tour of duty on this one, and now it's your turn. The only residual question which I must stick in your eye is this: How come you let it happen all over again? Just like Vietnam and lots of other donnybrooks. Read the book (when available), and consider it your homework assignment.

While I've been sequestered, I hear all these drums being beat for Hillary and Condi. Would either of these ladies solve the problems? How about Maureen Dowd for Pres??? A really snappy lady, especially in her latest book, Are Men Necessary? In her C-SPAN book tour, her main worry is retreating to an undisclosed location and finding .... Dick Cheney!! Actually I hope she does find him there, and has a pair of scissors handy. She could cut a few wires which would make us all a lot safer.

It's time to talk about BUSHCARE again.

I subscribed to Kaiser's Medicare Sr Advantage (HMO) plan. This makes my Prescription Drug plan choices simpler, Kaiser agents told me several times: I either accept Kaiser's plan, or get booted out of Kaiser. (Sounds like an old-fashioned protection insurance sales person.) You might have noticed all the TV ads encouraging Seniors to join blah-blah's prescription drug plan. There's a reason: the drug companies, and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are gouging the taxpayer under BUSHCARE. They're making a bundle for signing you up. Of course, that largesse won't last forever, so we'll see how quick they are to kick out people in a year or two.

Meanwhile ... back at the Kaiser pharmacy, no one knows exactly how much my various Rx are really going to cost me next year, except it is pretty clear it is going to be MORE. Now, I start out behind the 8-ball, as my Social Secuirty COLA is less than the Medicare and Kaiser premium increases. But, then they get me for even more.

The way it is now, I get 100 day supply of the el-cheapo generic drug for $10. No more. $10 will get me a supply for 30 days, so I will have to go there 3 times (gas money!) and it will cost me $33.33 for 100 days. Now, of course, I can get the 100 day supply by mail order for twice the usual fee; that's $20. So, it's going to cost me at least twice the money, and maybe some shipping too (no one knows), to let the Post Office grind my pills into powders. What the hell! That's what folks in Ben Franklin's day used to take: powders.

Of course, none of that works for my insulin and some other drugs that are temperature sensitive. For those, I'm stuck with trips to the pharmacy. Net result: BUSHCARE just raised my cost of drugs by at least 100%, maybe 300%.

Then, there's the "donut hole." It's not clear how much is covered before, guess what, FULL PRICE! It's not clear how that calculate that. I just have a funny feeling about it all, like, pretty soon I'm going to be paying more than whatever I was paying before any of this. (In the meantime, the drug companies keep on raising their prices.)

But, worry not. Not every stupid Senior has my a Rx list like mine. At least not until they get to be 75 or 80. I'm just not lucky, and fell into the pit a little sooner than most. So, BLAME THE VICTIM, I deserve my fate. I haven't figured out yet which of the drugs I'll stop taking . Hang on, buster: I'll let you know when to crack that champagne bottle!