As authorities aim for 90% coverage for America’s seniors and disabled people, government calculations indicate that those beneficiaries may be facing cost increases of up to 6.68%. The 90% plus target is for May 15.

According to official figures, 30 million seniors and disabled people have enrolled so far. HHS Secretary, Mike Leavitt, said that if the present rate of new enrolees continues, the 90% target should be achieved (seniors and diabled people with prescription coverage).

This would mean another 3 million people signing up between now and May 15. Those who sign up after this date face having to pay penalties. Several lawmakers have suggested that extending this May 15 deadline may get even more people covered.

Calculating ‘this current rate’ of new enrolees can be rather misleading. The 30 million ‘new enrolees’ includes a hefty number of people who had cover already (about two thirds).

The US Government has to issue annual guidelines for cost increases. These must correlate with prescription drug price inflation as well as total medication spending inflation.

In several developed countries senior citizens and disabled people pay nothing for their prescriptions. In the UK, people over 65, disabled people, people under 18, pregnant women, the unemployed and some people on low incomes pay nothing at all for their prescription drugs. Those that have to pay, only pay $11 (Ј6.50) per prescription written out by a doctor or health care professional (a prescription may include a months’ supply of any drug).

Virtually every country that provides universal health care coverage is finding this service more and more expensive to provide. As people live longer and medical breakthroughs make it possible to treat more and more illnesses and conditions, public health services’ demands on the public coffers grow relentlessly. The National Health Service (UK) has a serious financial deficit (spending more than is awarded to it by the government).

The main complaint by people in the USA is the cost of health care and the number of people with no cover at all. In the UK, where everyone has cover, the main complaint are the ‘waiting-lists’ – you often have to wait a long time to have your operation. According to feedback we receive from people all over the world, France seems provide good universal health care, without long waiting lists.

This email by a public health official reflects what many in this sector feel:

(Name withheld – United Kingdom)
“It does not matter how the health care provision is supplied – through the private or public sector. What matters is the public perception of how much it costs, and how much it is going to cost. Good public health costs a lot of money, regardless of whether it comes from the private or public sector. And it is going to cost more”