Making the right choice for drug coverage
Just a brief note to tell you how pleased I am with my Medicare Part D coverage. When I retired in 1999, I chose a PPO (preferred provider organization) that had drug coverage. It was an expensive plan, but I thought I would benefit from the savings in drug costs. I found that not only did I not save money, but it actually cost me more than the drugs would have cost without insurance.
I dropped that plan and chose another plan that did not have drug coverage. So, when Medicare Part D was offered, I was glad to see that now I could have some relief from the cost of my drugs.
I did a Web search of the formularies and picked a plan with a high premium, but with no doughnut hole, because this would suit my needs better that the lower-premium plans. I take few drugs and many of them are generic. I have been very pleased with my choice. I don’t expect to get to the doughnut hole this year, so my savings will be about $1,000.
I plan to review my list of drugs to see if the plan I chose for last year still is the best plan for me this year. I would advise everyone to do the same.
Richard Fricklas, Centennial
Thoughts on voting and today’s election
Letter-writer John Schola (Nov. 5 Open Forum) likened voting to a poker game, suggesting that voting was akin to agreeing to “play the game” and those who agree to play should be accepting of any bad outcome. He suggested that those who do not vote, but have to live with the bad outcomes in the country, have more right to complain than those who do vote because the non-voters have not agreed to “play the game.”
By living in this country, as an adult, you are “in the game.” There is no way to avoid being in the game unless you want to homestead in the middle of rural nowhere, get off the power grid, stop receiving income, and drop out of society. By refusing to vote, you are effectively cupping your hands over your ears and saying, “La la la, I’m not listening.” You are not increasing your “right to complain.”
The beauty of this country is that we all have a right to complain. Our complaints can be heard formally in the form of a vote, or informally in the form of an e-mail to our representatives. Welcome to the “game,” Mr. Schola. Complain away.
Nicole Guimond, Aurora
…
I am one of those disenchanted voters who wanted to send a message to the politicians by staying home on Nov. 7. But I was scared by the consequence of not exercising my civic responsibility, so I did early voting, and here is my message: I have cast my vote, which means those who are elected will be hired. Your job is only temporary. You have been hired to listen to your constituents, who hired you. You are accountable only to them. Your performance will be monitored by what you do in your public offices. You must be present for every vote. You must be committed to implementing the wishes of your constituents. You must conduct town hall meetings where you can communicate with the constituents. You have been elected as statesmen who will stick to your principles. Whatever is good for the American people must be implemented. If the unelected judges try to write laws from the bench, you must rise to the occasion and correct this. You should never support anything that is not in the interests of American people. You must protect our language, border and culture. You must vote against the rights of our enemies. Remember, if your performance is below average, we will recall you. This is my message.
Philip C. Sekar, Westminster
…
Despite all the excitement over the mid-term elections, I suggest that neither The Denver Post nor the Rocky Mountain News has the right to endorse candidates based on the opinions of a narrow group of owners, publishers, editors and who knows who. It is unlikely that the majority of your subscribers and readership have input into these endorsements. The endorsements by these newspapers, in some cases, make for lazy voters, who clip out the column and head for the voting booth, not fully understanding the issues. Therefore, I propose that both papers should do a better job of objectively summarizing the pros and cons of complex issues immediately before elections rather than endorse individual candidates. The role of these important newspapers in Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain region should be to educate and inform, not endorse.
Richard Roline, Lakewood
Urban design: DAM and Union Station
Letter-writer Robert Rose (Oct. 25 Open Forum) correctly assails the planning that placed an “ugly parking garage” in front of the Denver Art Museum’s new $100 million addition – noted for its unique, albeit controversial, design.
The same “logic” is being applied to the proposed massive development around Denver’s Union Station, where much of the historical and architecturally significant structure will be enshrouded by other buildings and their shadows – some buildings as close as 25 feet, about a Hummer and a half. So much for the “crown jewel” of our new transportation system.
Indeed, would we tolerate such development adjacent to the Capitol or the City and County Building? How about a King Soopers in the middle of Civic Center Park to pay for its “redevelopment”? After all, it’s about the revenue, isn’t it? All that unused land going to waste, what an opportunity! Maybe we can put the park below ground to accommodate more development!
At Union Station, we’re told that we need all those new buildings to pay for burying all the transit, while we must bury the transit in order to make way for all the new buildings (and a short street extension to serve them). Most curious.
Robert Brewster, Golden
Evangelist’s confession
New Life Church founder Ted Haggard has described his lifelong battle against temptation and how, after stretches of freedom, the “dirt” he thought was gone would resurface. If Mr. Haggard has experienced a recurring battle of dealing with this “dirt” for most of his adult life, could his church ever imagine that he, along with a certain percentage of humans since the beginning of time, was born gay? I’m sure he has. The most troubling aspect to me about his revelation is that a select group of evangelicals called the Overseer Board of New Life Church will be placing him on a “restoration plan.” I cringe at the thought. Not until the church and other conservative Christians recognize the real truth and offer acceptance of homosexuals in this life will true “restoration” begin.
Laurie Domler, Denver
…
Ted Haggard has confessed to members of the New Life Church for being a “deceiver and a liar.” I will not ask whether his repentance is sincere, since this seems impossible to know with certainty. What we can ask, however, is whether Haggard will be refunding the money he made by this fraud. His rise to fame certainly did not go uncompensated, and if he was duplicitous, that gain was ill-gotten. He owes his church and its members restitution for his deception. While it may take an eternity for Haggard to pay for his sins, he can start right now, with his checkbook.
David Hildebrand, Denver
…
I would like to thank Mike Jones for exposing another hypocrite among the leaders of the evangelical Christian community. Ted Haggard, while defending the “sanctity of marriage” from his pulpit in Colorado Springs, has been engaging in “immoral sexual conduct” in Denver. Were he not one of the bigoted “Christians” that promotes intolerance and discrimination against gays and lesbians, I might have a little sympathy.
Sue Fraley, Castle Rock
…
With all the scandal involving Ted Haggard, I think that Mike Jones is equally as hypocritical. Here is a man who has been receiving money for three years for having sex, then all of a sudden developes a conscience and points an accusing finger at the man who’s been paying him? To me, that’s a double standard.
Erik Erikson, Denver
To send a letter
E-mail: openforum@denverpost.com (only straight text, not attachments)
Mail: The Open Forum, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, 80202
Fax: 303-954-1502
Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 200 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.
To reach us by phone: 303-954-1331
