#508: Understanding Poverty and a Plan to Help

Today I gained a first-hand understanding of seniors and others who can not afford to buy their needed medications. Either they have no insurance to help offset the cost or, like me, have hit a Medicare gap called the donut hole.

Te way that works is that once the cost of a person's prescription drugs equals $2,840 that person then is required to pay higher co-pays for their medications. Even ones that had been no cost now have a fee to get them. This continues until the drugs' total costs equals $4,550 then the cost goes back down.

But many people lack the income to cover this donut hole. Here is one example: A diabetic drug called Byetta, a twice a day injection, had cost me $75 per month. Starting tomorrow, that cost is $141. The pain pills I take for my back are now $14 instead of zero.

If you're still with me, here is an idea I had tonight that may help people in this predicament. But I need your input on how to make it work.

What if our neighborhood associations, Scouts, etc., could somehow identify some of those people who can't stretch their budgets for their medications and had collections for them of things they need every day that would help them save money to use for their refills?

Think of all the things we use every day -- dish washing liquid, laundry soap, shower soap, shampoo, paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, toothpaste, etc., etc., etc. When the list is compiled, it becomes fairly lengthy. These are simply examples.

If these items could be collected and then distributed, it might save needy people the money they need to pay for their prescriptions. Even if it only helped for a month, that's better than nothing, right?

Next time you shop, look at the cost of the above items and more you purchase for every day use. And, we're not even talking about food, just the basic items that add up and divert money from what is really needed.

For me, what if I do not refill three diabetes prescriptions and stick to one? How will that affect my diabetes? What if I stay with the pain pills and forego the other two prescriptions for my back? Will the pain increase? Will I be limited physically more than now?

These are decisions made every day and not always by seniors, but by people who are disabled, often severely.

Will my plan work? You tell me. Then I can decide whether or not to pursue it starting with my neighborhood association.

for you thoughts.