By Kalvin D. Perron
Staff Reporter
BAY MILLS - Bay Mills Health Center Coordinator Walt Parish said senior citizens should be very leery of promising offers of cheap prescription drugs from pharmaceutical companies. Armed with hidden costs and the fact that they may not carry all the drugs a senior needs, or may need in the future, Parish said under no circumstances should an elder sign a contract with a drug company.
"Don't sign anything - period!" he said, addressing any elder who has been solicited and targeted by the misleading advertising. "These drug companies are targeting our seniors with misleading information. If a senior gets locked into a contract with a drug company and they do not carry the drug they need it could be devastating."
Parish said that the Bay Mills Pharmacy is currently having 15 contracts looked over by the tribe's legal department and added that he hopes to have the tribal court as the convening authority over all of them. When the contracts are finished being looked over by tribal attorneys, Parish said that seniors would be able to get drugs from any one of the 15 or more companies they sign contracts with, provided they have not signed a contract with a company that the pharmacy does not deal with. A list of companies the pharmacy has signed on with will be posted for seniors to view.
Parish said also that effective January 1, 2006, Medicare will be offering insurance coverage for prescription drugs through Medicare prescription drug plans. The plan will be available to all people with Medicare and will cover both brand name and generic drugs at a cost of around $37 per month. Contract Health is currently working with Indian Health Services (IHS) and Medicare to find a way for them to pay the monthly premium for all tribal members participating in the program, Parish said. Those who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid will not have to pay monthly premiums, he added.
While nothing is set in stone, as of yet, Parish said that more would be found out at a September meeting on the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage program and promised to keep area seniors updated as the plan progresses. Until the program is implemented, Parish issued a final reminder to the elders in the community.
"Please, do not sign any contracts with any drug company," he said. "If you want to sign a contract with a certain company, or have already signed one, check with us to see if they will be participating in our program. Other than that - do not sign a thing!"
For more information, contact Parish at 906-248-5527, ext. 3100.
