“Going to the fair, going to the fair, going to the Northwest Michigan Fair.” OK, now that I’ve got that little ditty embedded in your head, let’s really go to the fair.
Senior day at the fair will be on Aug. 5 this year. So, mark your calendar. All seniors will be admitted to the fair free of charge, including entrance and parking. In addition, there will be a goody bag filled with fun items from our sponsors and lunch served to the first 250 seniors who check in at the information tent located at the entrance as you come through the gate.
There will be all kinds of activities and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. under the pavilion. Plus, door prizes will be handed out to lucky number holders. Last year they got me up to do rhythm dancing and I’ll tell you they haven’t stopped talking about my moves. I won’t tell you what they said, but I will tell you it wasn’t pretty.
This event is sponsored by the Bay Area Senior Advocates (BASA), an organization made up of approximately 80 nonprofit, for-profit and governmental agencies. Its sole purpose is to advocate and champion issues that affect seniors living in Northwest Michigan. I’ve been part of BASA for more than 10 years, and I can attest to the impact a group of this nature has when it speaks as one on issues that need a voice.
So, please join me on Aug. 6 at the fair. The fairgrounds are located at 3606 Blair Town Hall Road. Take M-37 South through Chum’s Corner and look for the signs.
Now for the serious stuff. As promised, more on 2025 Medicare changes. Starting in January 2025, Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $2,000 out of pocket for prescription drugs covered under Part D, Medicare’s outpatient drug benefit. All thanks to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This is the third very visible way seniors will be saving thousands of dollars on drug costs. First was the $35 cap on insulin in 2023, second was the elimination of the catastrophic level drug costs in 2024 and now the $2,000 cap in 2025.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, if this cap of $2,000 had been in place in 2021 (most recent data for analysis), more than 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D plans would have saved money. If we go back to 2007, the first full year after Part D was implemented, 6.8 million enrollees paid more than $2,000 at least once during that period of 2007-2021. Here in our own backyard, between 2007 and 2021, 200,000 plus Michiganders spent more than $2,000 in a year.
Here’s the frustrating part of this. This is a big deal. The cost of drugs continues to skyrocket. In January 2024, eight of the 10 drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation in 2026 hiked their prices: Eliquis (5%), Jardiance (3%), Xarelto (5%), Januvia (4.71%), Farxiga (3%), Entresto (3%), Enbrel (5%) and Stelara (5%).
Yet, when asked if they are aware of the coming changes to Part D, most seniors are surprised by it. We should be shouting from the rooftops and dancing in the streets. When this takes place on Jan. 1, millions of seniors will benefit from this cap immediately and going forward. From both sides of the political spectrum. And yet, on Aug. 12, 2022, the bill was passed by the House on a 220–207 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans voting against it. On Aug. 16, 2022, the bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
A bill that literally helps millions upon millions of seniors survive can’t even escape the partisan politics we’re dealing with on a daily basis. You vote against it because the other guy is for it. What a terrible way to govern, forgetting that your constituents need you to represent their best interests.
As I said before, BASA advocates for those initiatives that have the highest positive impact on the seniors living in the Grand Traverse region. You’d think our representative would do the same.