Poll: Most people find prescription drug program hard to understand

WASHINGTON -- Most people, particularly senior citizens, say they are having a hard time understanding the new Medicare prescription drug program, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

The drug benefit requires people to choose from among dozens of competing private insurance plans. Along with senior citizens, those most likely to acknowledge difficulties live in rural areas or are college graduates.

"I pretty much completed a master's degree in psychology and I can't understand it," said Raymond Lloyd, a Republican-leaning retiree from Silt, Colo. "For the elderly who don't have their full faculties and the poor people who are not well educated, God help 'em."

More than half, 52 percent, of respondents say they think the program that began enrolling people on Jan. 1 is tough to understand.

Two-thirds of older people surveyed and two-thirds of those who have signed up say they are confused by the program, which is intended to help many save more on their prescription drugs.

A third said they had not decided what they think of the new program and 16 percent said they have little trouble figuring out the program.

One who finds it easy to understand is Kathy Herndon of Savannah, Ga., who has worked for three decades in a dentist's office.

"I'm sure it would be confusing unless you're used to dealing with it," she said.

The poorest people in the program have a specific plan chosen at first for them; those with higher incomes have to pick one. People who struggle with a selection often turn to their pharmacists.

Marlene Brantley, a pharmacist from Arnaudville, La., said that serving Hurricane Katrina evacuees seemed like "a walk in the park" when compared with helping Medicare beneficiaries in recent weeks.

Many plans, many lists

She said there are too many plans and too many lists of available drugs, forcing pharmacists to spend a lot of time trying to determine if people are eligible for a particular plan.

"If we don't get help, I see us all throwing up our hands and quitting," Brantley said at a Capitol Hill hearing last week sponsored by Democrats.

Soon after enrollment opened, it became apparent there was widespread confusion, so the government increased from 150 to 4,000 the number of workers at a pharmacy help line. Questions also can go through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- (800) Medicare or www.cms.hhs.gov -- or local aging agencies.

The public's understanding of the program is one of several problems that have plagued the Bush administration's initiative.

Tens of thousands of elderly poor people have had trouble getting their medicine after they were canceled from Medicaid prescription drug coverage but not properly listed as eligible in the new program.

'Too complicated'

"Most of these people are vulnerable and frail," said Jean Finberg of the National Senior Citizens Law Center. "Our government is not protecting these people, and the new plan is too complicated."

Medicare spokesman Gary Karr said millions of people are getting their prescription drugs through the new program, despite the glitches.

"We certainly acknowledge there have been some problems," Karr said. "This is a $30 to $40 billion program. It's a big transition for many people."

About 3.6 million people have enrolled, in addition to the 6.4 million elderly poor shifted from Medicaid, the government health -care program for the poor, that had provided their drug coverage.

The government aims to have 28 million to 30 million -- including the Medicaid transfers -- enrolled in the Medicare drug program by the end of 2006, Karr said. He said people will like the program more as they realize it can save them money.

But the public has doubts about the savings now.

Of those people who have enrolled in the program or have family members enrolled, six in 10 in the poll said they have noticed no significant savings.

Half of the Republicans surveyed say the drug program is hard to understand while six in 10 Democrats say they feel that way.

For 63-year-old Democrat Glenda Bozeman of Blountstown, Fla., that confusion is compounded by her overall doubts about the program.

"A large number of people are upset about this," she said. "I'm really suspicious about who this is going to help."

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Associated Press manager of news surveys Trevor Tompson contributed to this story.

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Survey said ...

The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on public attitudes about prescription drugs was conducted Tuesday through Thursday. It is based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. Results may not total 100 percent because of rounding.

As you may know, a new Medicare prescription drug program came into effect on January 1.

1a. From what you know, is the new Medicare prescription drug program easy to understand or hard to understand? Is that somewhat (easy/hard) or very (easy/hard)?

* Very easy, 4 percent

* Somewhat easy, 11 percent

* Somewhat hard, 29 percent

* Very hard, 23 percent

* Not sure, 33 percent

TOTAL EASY -- 16 percent

TOTAL HARD -- 52 percent

2. Are you currently eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug program, or not?

* Yes, 20 percent

* No, 73 percent

* Not sure, 7 percent

(ASKED ONLY OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED 'YES' TO QUESTION 2)

3. In addition to yourself, do you have a close family member who is currently eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug program, or not?

* Yes, 45 percent

* No, 49 percent

* Not sure, 6 percent

(ASKED ONLY OF THOSE WHO SAID IN QUESTION 2 THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM)

4. Have you enrolled in the new Medicare prescription drug program or not?

* Yes. 34 percent

* No, 63 percent

(ASKED ONLY OF THOSE WHO SAID IN QUESTION 3 THEY HAVE A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW MEDICARE PROGRAM)

5. Have any close family members enrolled in the new Medicare prescription drug program, or not?

* Yes, 36 percent

* No, 50 percent

* Not sure, 14 percent

(ASKED OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED 'YES' TO EITHER QUESTION 4 OR 5)

6. Have you or have any close family members ever been denied prescription drugs under the new Medicare prescription drug program, or not?

* Yes, 18 percent

* No, 77 percent

* Not sure, 5 percent

(ASKED OF THOSE WHO SAID 'YES' TO QUESTION 6)

7. To the best of your knowledge, under the rules of the new program was the denial made in error, or not?

* Yes, 37 percent

* No, 57 percent

* Not sure, 6 percent

(ASKED OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED 'YES' TO EITHER QUESTION 4 OR 5)

8. From what you know so far, have you or have any close family members noticed any significant cost savings under the new prescription drug program, or have there not been any significant cost savings?

* Significant cost savings, 17 percent

* No significant cost savings, 59 percent

* Not sure, 24 percent

-- The Associated Press