Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices 2008

My 93 year old father-in-law got the bad news in the mail. He's hit the Medicare doughnut hole which means he's got to pay the next $3,216 of his prescriptions while still paying his insurance premiums. Money is going to be awfully tight for the rest of the year.

Papaw is a frugal man who grew up during the depression. He raised his family by farming in West Texas and working nights on the railroad. Some years it didn't rain or else hail destroyed the crops--so it wasn't an easy life. For 93, he's doing really well but he's got type-II diabetes and the problems that go with it.

Last year 4.2 million seniors hit the doughnut hole and since prescription drug costs have gone up 6-9%, more will probably hit it this year. These aren't people buying name brand drugs because they want to, they buy generics when they can, but they want to stay alive and have a decent quality of life.

Papaw will get by but not all seniors are that lucky. Some will face serious problems and why? Because Congress designed a plan to benefit drug companies and insurance companies. The drug companies and insurance companies are making huge profits while our senior citizens are struggling to make ends meet. What kind of nation "rewards" citizens who worked hard all their lives by making them have to chose between food and life saving drugs. It would seem that the only "gold" in the "golden years" belongs to drug companies.

Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices 2008