The donut hole is a gap in coverage for most Medicare plans where currently after you and your plan have spent $2,700 for covered drugs, you then have to pay all costs out pocket up to $6,154 when the Medicare plan D will kick in again.

Now in 2010 $250 rebate checks are mailed to people that hit the donut hole threshold amount. In 2011 drugs needed within the donut hole gap will be discounted at 50%. By 2020 the donut hole is scheduled to be closed in phases for Medicare part D enrollees.

Also discussed in the hour Con. McCollum was at the SummerHouse was

• Changes in Medicare Advantage plans
• Medicare Geographic Disparities
• Health Care Implementation Timeline
• Other changes with the new Health care plan

Available on Con. McCollum’s website is a guide explaining

• What the health care reform legislation does for you.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum and her staff can be reached at 202-225-6631 or 651-224-9191. McCollum’s website is http://mccollum.house.gov where more methods of contact are available.

The SummerHouse of Shoreview by Presbyterian Homes is a community of Senior Apartments located on North Victoria Street across from the Shoreview library.

The information published must include a description of the actions, if any, taken by the manufacturer to do the following:

• provide for the safe collection and proper disposal of sharps
• educate consumers about safe management and collection opportunities
• support efforts by retailers, pharmaceutical distributors, local governments, health care organizations, public health officers, solid waste service providers, organizations representing patients who use sharps, and other groups with interest in protecting public health and safety through the sale, collection, and proper disposal of sharps.

“Sharps” is defined as:

1. discarded items that can induce subdermal inoculation of infectious agents, including needles, lancets, scalpel blades, pipettes, and other items derived from human or animal patient care, blood banks, laboratories, mortuaries, research facilities, and industrial operations
2. discarded glass or rigid plastic vials containing infectious agents.

“All too often unused prescription drugs end up in the wrong place or the wrong hands,” said Gardner. “This common sense legislation aims to keep prescription drugs out of our lakes and streams and away from teenagers or young adults who may abuse the drugs.”

Billions of dollars of prescription drugs are prescribed and paid for in this country and never used. Not only are those expensive drugs not used for their intended purpose, they often end up in the hands of teens or are flushed down the drain and eventually harm aquatic life.

To begin addressing these concerns, the Safe Drug Disposal Act defines the proper protocol for disposal of unused pharmaceutical drugs and spells out how counties can implement these procedures. Gardner said these standards will provide guidance to state and local officials so they can accept unused prescription drugs from the public and dispose of them safely.

“We are setting up a uniform system that will allow all of us to clear our unused prescription drugs out of our medicine cabinet and have them disposed the correct way,” said Gardner. “Some counties have already taken the lead and this will allow more Minnesotans to take advantage of a cost-free system to get rid of their unused prescription drugs.”

Chisago County has implemented a successful prescription drug turn-in program for the past two years in which they have disposed of 1,400 pounds of drugs at a cost of only $5,000.

While this is bill is an excellent step in the right direction, Gardner said more work is needed to reduce pharmaceutical waste for both environmental and fiscal reasons.

“Unused prescriptions cost Minnesotans millions of dollars. We need to explore strategies to reduce that waste and its cost to Minnesotans,” said Gardner.

“When we pass health care reform, it will have a real impact on Minnesota families and the families I serve in the Fourth Congressional district,” said Congresswoman McCollum.  “It’s going to mean controlling costs, increasing access, ensuring quality, holding insurance companies accountable, and protecting patients from insurance company abuses.”

Here are just some of the benefits that 615,000 Minnesota residents of the Fourth Congressional district will see from this reform:

• 409,000 residents of the Fourth Congressional district will see improvements in their current health care coverage
• 7,000 residents of the Fourth Congressional district who can’t buy health insurance now because of a pre-existing condition will be able to obtain coverage
• Up to 141,000 families in the Fourth Congressional district will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable
• Up to 14,100 small businesses in the Fourth Congressional will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable for their employees
• 86,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Fourth Congressional will see better care and will pay less for prescription drugs because the Medicare Part D donut hole will be closed
• 50,000 young adults in the Fourth Congressional will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until their 26th birthday
• 19,500 uninsured residents in the Fourth Congressional will have access to health care coverage
• 900 families won’t have to file for bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs
• 20 community health centers will receive millions of dollars in new funding to see thousands of new patients.

Health care reform legislation, which is being advanced in Congress by Democrats, will rein in health care costs across Minnesota and the United States. Small businesses will receive tax credits to make it easier for them to provide coverage for their workers – so they don’t have to choose between providing health care and hiring new employees. Middle class families will get tax credits to make their health care costs affordable – so they never have to worry about going bankrupt because of an illness. Over 30 million Americans who currently cannot afford coverage will be able to receive health care, and millions of Americans will have the peace of mind that if they switch jobs–or lose their job–they won’t lose their health care.

“Our nation’s health care system is broken, and it needs to be fixed. Tens of millions of American are uninsured, underinsured, or afraid of losing their coverage. Insurance companies continue to squeeze families by increasing health premiums and reducing coverage. Unless you are an insurance company or a Republican Member of Congress this is the time for action. It is time to pass health care reform.

“We have an historic opportunity to end discrimination by insurance companies for people with pre-existing conditions; close the Medicare ‘donut hole’ to protect senior citizens from paying high prescription drug costs; lower the cost of insurance for all Americans; improve affordability, access, and quality for everyone; and extend health insurance coverage to at least 30 million currently uninsured Americans. This reform agenda is about giving Americans more insurance choices – specifically the purchasing power that big businesses already enjoy and the same options that every Member of Congress has.

“Given the current state of health care today and the opportunity for Congress to take action, I fully support reconciliation – a legitimate, transparent, democratic, and authorized legislative process. Despite Republican claims, reconciliation shouldn’t be feared. It allows for a majority vote in the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to help reduce the budget deficit.

“One of the numerous benefits of this plan is how it will reduce our nation’s overwhelming deficit. Closer monitoring of the current Medicare system will help eliminate waste, abuse, and fraud. By extending health insurance to the uninsured we can reduce the federal budget deficit by no less than $100 billion over the next decade. Making reform about paying for quality over quantity of care will also help reduce the deficit.

“Reconciliation will also ‘correct’ the current proposed version of health care reform by removing excessive provisions that some of my colleagues in the Senate have included. The provisions in question only benefit the constituents in states such as Florida, Louisiana, and Nebraska. I applaud President Obama for demanding that these special perks be stripped.

“Passing health care reform isn’t about imposing a government-run health care system. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The government has a responsibility to oversee health insurance companies’ practices and hold them accountable when they dump sick policy holders or gouge consumers with excessive premium increases. The government must protect millions of American families from denial of coverage. No one should ever have to think twice about asking for medical care but yet so many do.

“Republicans feign shock over what the Democrats have done for health care reform, accusing the Democrats of plowing this legislation through Congress. This is not true. When they had control of Congress, Republicans had endless opportunities to reform our nation’s health care system, and they simply ignored the problem. Furthermore, President Obama has reached out to Republicans and asked them to weigh in and be part of the process even going so far as to incorporate their ideas. Republicans have responded by rejecting bipartisanship and embracing stonewalling in hopes of stopping this process altogether.

“There have been enough delays in the health care reform process. The American people deserve a simple up or down vote from Congress. I will be a vote for health care reform, and I urge my House colleagues to join me in fixing our nation’s health care system.”

Legislators spent more than two hours debating HF2680/ SF2168*, which would create a 16-month version of General Assistance Medical Care, the state health care program serving up to 35,000 low-income Minnesotans monthly. Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed the legislation Feb. 18 in favor of transitioning GAMC enrollees into MinnesotaCare, a process scheduled to begin this week.

Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul), who sponsors the bill with Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Mpls), said weekend discussions involving House leadership and the governor’s staff resulted in a “good conceptual conversation” but little give from Pawlenty officials. She said the House needed to take action Monday to keep Pawlenty’s auto-enrollment proposal from becoming the final policy.

Republicans accused Democrats of jeopardizing further negotiations with the governor by attempting the override.

“Instead of taking the time to do this right, we’ve decided that today is an emergency, which it’s not,” said Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud). “…We have time to do this right.”

“I want to see us back at the table,” said Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague). “I want to see us solve this problem.”

The motion to override failed 87-46. Following the vote, Murphy said legislators were not considering legal action as a way of continuing GAMC or halting the auto-enrollment process, though outside organizations may. She would not rule out continued discussions with Pawlenty staff, but reiterated the governor’s intent to proceed with the auto-enrollment option.

photo by MN House of Reps Public Info Services

House Republicans say they will work with Democrats and the governor’s office over the weekend to find a compromise on controversial health care legislation.

Should those discussions fall through, House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) said his caucus members will uphold Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of HF2680/ SF2168*, which would create a 16-month version of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). Funding for the current program, which serves low-income childless adults, is scheduled to end April 1. (Watch the press conference)

Zellers did not say if the House would attempt an override of the governor’s veto. He criticized the Senate, which voted to override Thursday, of not giving GAMC legislation the attention it deserves.

“This is an issue of extreme significance and should be treated that way,” he said.

Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) said he is hopeful all parties will reach some kind of consensus before the full House convenes Monday. There is widespread agreement that the GAMC population needs better care at a cost that is sustainable in the long-term, he said.

“I think we’re very, very close,” Dean said, but finding a bill that the governor can sign and attempting a veto override are two mutually exclusive efforts.

Pawlenty has said he would like to address the GAMC issue in the context of the budget situation. In his veto message, he called passage of the GAMC legislation “premature.”

Upcoming clinics are:

Thursday, January 7, 2010
4:00 – 8:00 pm
Central Middle School
4857 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110

More information can be found on the Ramsey County Department of Health H1N1 clinic page.

Children 9 and under needing their 2nd dose (21 days after first dose) can get that dose. Nasal (FluMist) and injectable (shot) vaccines are available. No appointments or ID needed

You can get more information by calling 651.266.2440 or visiting the Ramsey County Health H1N1 website.



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