Seniors likely won't sway from benefit plan

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT A plan by health insurer Humana and Walmart to offer a cheap prescription drug plan to seniors who shop at the mass merchandiser may be a little off the mark, if results of the survey of Medicare beneficiaries is to be believed.

(THE NEWS: Many seniors are satisfied with Medicare Rx benefit, survey shows. For the full story, click here)

The survey indicated that an overwhelming majority of beneficiaries are satisfied with their coverage and found prices affordable.

Price isn’t the only thing that customers take into consideration, even when economic times are difficult. According to a customer service satisfaction survey by J.D. Powers and Associates, consumers gave significantly higher marks to independent pharmacies than they did to chains — particularly in areas such as the shopping experience and staff — while Walmart actually got a score below the average for mass merchandisers.