Drug Benefit in Medicare Still a Struggle
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Oakland Creative FORUM and Chicago Workshop Our readers write battle again turns 30 ..................................Page 4 .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Partly sunny and breezy 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY May 24, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 148 Number 45 email: [email protected] Methadone clinic to close for lack of funding By BEN BROWN As of June 30, the Hillside clinic provide treatment to more than 200 chronic. Most of those in the pro- treatment to recovering addicts, but The Daily Journal will no longer be able to prescribe opiate addicts since 1998. gram were former heroin addicts, but will no longer be able to give out A change in the type of drug treat- methadone to people recovering MCHC vice president for behav- Mabanglo said prescription methadone. ments Medi-Cal will pay for means from opiate addiction. The clinic has ioral health Michael Mabanglo said painkiller addicts also used the ser- The OTP was a federal qualified Mendocino County’s Opioid been working with the Mendocino the program treated people with only vices. health clinic that treated recovering Treatment Program will close its Community Health Clinic and the the most severe addictions for whom Mabanglo said MCHC will con- doors at the end of June. Alcohol and Other Drugs Program to methadone treatment had become tinue to provide medical and dental See METHADONE, Page 16 Woman MAY SIGNUP DEADLINE PASSES arrested with gun Drug benefit at school in Medicare By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal A woman found walking still a struggle on the grounds of St. Mary’s school with a dog and a hand- By JAMES ARENS ‘You’re taking a vulnerable gun was arrested and booked The Daily Journal into the Mendocino County Confusion stemming from population and putting them jail Tuesday morning. the new Medicare drug cover- Kimberlee Hafner, 46, of age plan is affecting local in a vulnerable place.’ Ukiah, was arrested on suspi- pharmacies and patients cion of possession of a loaded alike. “It’s just been too com- weapon, possession of a plicated,” said pharmacist WILL HEIMBERG weapon on school grounds Will Heimberg of Blue Drug Blue Drug Pharmacy and possession of a concealed Pharmacy. weapon in the 900 block of Medicare is a federally South Dora Street early managed, fee-for-service plan ‘The law restricts me from Tuesday. for people age 65 or older and for people with certain dis- telling my patients what plans At 7: 24 a.m., officers from abilities. You pay a set pre- the Ukiah Police Department mium monthly, usually to choose, but I do explain responded to calls of a suspi- around $37, for health care the options as best I can.’ cious woman on school and a yearly deductible grounds. Upon arrival they around $250, before found Hafner walking back Medicare pays its part. DALE HARRISON and forth in the sprinklers Medicare pays its share, with a large dog, said UPD and you pay your share, or Myers Apothecary Sgt. Greg Heitkamp. copayment, for covered When officers approached services and supplies. plan starting Nov. 15 and Hafner she told them she was In the past, state ending Dec. 31. carrying a gun. She told offi- Medicaid drug plans took Currently, people who cers she was afraid of her hus- care of prescription med- missed the May 15 deadline band and had left the house ications for those who and plan to sign up Nov. 15 and taken the gun and dog qualified, but that ended will have to pay a penalty for with her, Heitkamp said. Dec. 31, 2005. Medicare’s late enrollment. Once their “She was having some prescription drug coverage coverage begins on Jan. 1 of kind of emotional event and started Jan. 1; formerly next year, a slightly higher decided to take the gun with Medicare offered no pre- monthly premium that adds her,” Heitkamp said. scription drug coverage. about $2.50 per month or 1 Hafner turned over the As many elderly and dis- percent of the national loaded .380 semiautomatic abled citizens know, the average premium will be pistol and surrendered to deadline to enroll for the new assessed for every month of police officers on scene, who Medicare drug coverage, also delay. booked her into the county known as Medicare Part D, There is a proposed plan in jail without incident. was May 15 at midnight. the works to change that. Additional officers were Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal Now that the first open Legislation pending approval sent to Hafner’s home to Pharmacy Technician Silvia Plaza fills a prescription order at Blue Drug enrollment has ended, benefi- by the Senate states that as check on her husband, who on South Dora Street Tuesday morning. Pharmacies have seen an ciaries (with the exception of long as elderly and disabled was found to be alive and increase in questions from customers about the new Medicare drug ben- low-income people eligible unharmed. Heitkamp said. efit, many concerned that the new program is confusing and costly. for extra help) can enroll in a See MEDICARE, Page 16 Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected]. Frank Zeek fourth-graders donate their long locks ‘Locks of Love:’ to help children who’ve lost their hair to cancer By LAURA CLARK in cutting it, I should donate it,” she said, refer- Heth pointed out, what counts most is the good The Daily Journal submitted photo ring to conversations with co-workers at Ukiah feeling of helping someone else. Frank Zeek fourth-grader Kamran Heth, 10, of Valley Medical Center. “Kamran’s hair contin- “Hair is such a luxury. We take it for grant- Kamran Heth wears her auburn Ukiah, holds her pony- ued to grow longer and more difficult for her to ed: we dye it, bleach it, perm it ... almost to the hair shoulder length now. tail following an ap- manage and tolerate,” she said, adding that the point of destroying it, yet when somebody else Before she had it cut, it fell to pointment last week way she looked at it, Kamran’s “troubles has the unfortunate diagnosis of cancer, treat- her waist --- which is about the with Amanda Thomp- would be somebody else’s blessing.” ment (can) cause them to lose the simple luxu- length of Rene Beck’s blond son at Vision Salon Her 10-year-old daughter agreed. ry of having hair,” she said. hair currently. Beck, also in the and Spa. “In the summer it gets too hot and in the Which is apparently why Beck’s mother, fourth grade at Frank Zeek morning it’s too hard to do my hair,” she said Rhonda Newcomb, suggested her daughter School, once had hair down to Heth had about 9-and-a- Monday, as she sat outside of her classroom donate her hair to the organization. her knees, but that was before half inches cut off her mane with her mother and her ponytail -- still intact “My mom told me I should cut it and give it she cut it off last year and donat- just last week and she, too, inside a plastic Ziploc bag. to Locks of Love, to a little girl who has can- ed it to Locks of Love. will ship her ponytail to Asked how she felt about donating her cer,” Beck said. Locks of Love is a nonprofit Locks of Love. ponytail, she said “happy ... because I gave my Besides, Beck said, she wanted to cut her organization that provides hair- Kamran’s mother, Kim hair to somebody who doesn’t have hair.” then-knee-length hair because it was “too long pieces to financially disadvan- Heth, said it was her own Kamran will receive a certificate from and it was hard to take care of.” taged children 18 years and younger suffering long locks that gave her the idea of donating Locks of Love essentially saying “thanks,” and Donating her golden locks made her feel from long-term medical hair loss, states infor- her daughter’s hair. she recently received a community service mation from the organization on its Web site. “It was discussed that if I am ever interested award from her school as well, but as Kim See LOCKS, Page 16 1400 Hastings Rd • Ukiah www.thurstonhonda.com CREDIT UNION HONDA 1-800-287-6727 DIRECT 707-468-9215 LENDING 2 – WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] conspiracy to commit a felony years and eight months in FUNERAL NOTICES POLICE REPORTS and receiving stolen goods at state prison Friday after The following were 11:39 p.m. Sunday. pleading no contest to charges [\ Zachary, Steven and San- surgery and OB nurse. compiled from reports ARREST -- Michael of possession of methamphet- di Rouse, Mandy and She was proud of her nurs- prepared by the Ukiah Charles Danco, 29, of Ukiah, amine, possession of metham- Chelcy Gibbs and Tiffa- ing career, her Police Department. To was arrested on suspicion of phetamine for sale, two counts ny Parsons, great-grand- rose garden and her fami- anonymously report driving under the influence, of possession of marijuana for children Kimberly and ly, especially her crime information, call evading a police officer and sale and committing a new Shelby Quiroga and grandchildren. She will be 463-6205. reckless driving in the 2000 crime while on bail for a McKayla McWilliams. remembered for ARREST -- Jeremiah block of Ruddick- felony. Trena was preceded in her beautiful smile, her McCosker, 27, hometown not Cunningham Road at 12:07 Geurts’ attorney, Jan Cole- death by a daughter kindness, warmth and listed, was arrested on suspi- a.m.