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In 2003 Medicare law was supposed to provide more than 6 million people with extra help to get needed medications. Unfortunately, for hundreds of thousands of people that didn't happen. This is why those older Americans who have purchased Medicare supplemental health insurance are often so glad they did - when Medicare red tape stands between them and their health care needs they've got a backup plan to rely on.

According to the New York Times the Bush administration promised this week to provide new protections for low-income Medicare beneficiaries to insure that they get those much-needed medications. But will it work? And, what about those who don't qualify as "low-income," but still can't afford medications that are highly expensive?

The answer: Medicare supplemental health insurance.

For low-income Americans the only option is to rely on Medicare, and to hope that the promises that get made are also kept in good faith. In regards to the 2003 law, many people couldn't get the assistance they needed, or experienced long (and therefore dangerous) delays in getting important medications.

Some were overcharged by large sums of money, and others turned away without medications. Hopefully, these new promises will protect those people.

But it's important to remember that the poverty-line for Medicare recipients is only $10,400 per year per individual - what if you have more money than that, but still can't afford pricey medications, or need extra care?

This is where Medicare supplemental health insurance proves invaluable. For those who want the extra security of more health care coverage, it's nice to know that you have a plan B.