Politicos call it flip-flopping. I call it screwing seniors for fun and profit.

The Gripeline has long been a favorite of mine, Ed Foster speaks the truth about the shady legal practices of the software monolopies (It doesn't work? Too bad you can't return it, you opened it!). Of course he was canned by Infoword for speaking out (BASTARDS!). It looks like the Feds are bringing the same sneaky practices to Medicare drug discount cards. I'd like to think the AARP would be all over this, but since they sold out to the government because they are an insurance provider, don't hold your breath.

"It looks like sneakwrap is becoming the new wave," the reader wrote, pointing to some of the objections that have been raised regarding the Medicare-approved drug discount cards. "Want to know what drugs 'Brand X' card let you get at a discount? Well, it depends. You need to choose your card carefully, because not every card has a complete formulary. And, by law, you are stuck with that card for a year --no switching, even if you are willing to pay again for a new card. So you have to check the up-to-date list on the Internet and carefully pick the card that covers all the drugs you need."

But while customers can switch Medicare discount cards only once a year, the card providers can change drugs and prices every week. "The discount card company can add or remove any drug from their formulary, at any time," the reader wrote. "They are trying to figure out how many card holders they will have, and how much of what drugs they will move. And if it turns out they are not making money, or maybe they just want to fold and keep the cash they have collected so far, the card company can simply discontinue services, leaving the cardholders to wait the rest of their 12 months to try again. So even though you picked the card carefully to cover your needs, the card company could just drop all of your needed drugs within the month. No penalties, it's perfectly legal."