More about pharmacies & Medicare Part D

Last night I stopped at the local Duane Reade to pick up some toiletries and found they were prominently advertising one particular Medicare Part D plan—CIGNA’s. I don’t know what the partnership deal is here, but I recalled the popular (Democratic) NewDonkey blog noting a related problem with seniors relying on their pharmacists for advice on prescription drug plans. This is the NewDonkey blog from December 29:

I've been trying to sign up my mother-in-law for the Medicare Rx drug benefit, which her current insurer is forcing her to undertake under penalty of massive premium increases. And as anyone who's dealt with this particular beast can tell you, the new program is about as easy to navigate as The Name of the Rose. I know a fair amount about Medicare, and health insurance generally, but still, I'm terrified that I'm making serious mistakes. I cannot imagine what this is like for anyone without internet access or a rudimentary knowledge of the new system. I gather millions of seniors are depending on their pharmacists for guidance, which would be fine except for the fact that a number of drugstore chains are sponsoring or cosponsoring plans themselves, creating all sorts of conflicts of interest.