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ALEXANDER CITY, Ala., Mar 31, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- An Alabama woman wants to know why the federal government and her insurer both thought she was dead.
Rita Barry, 72, received a letter this week from the AARP Medicare Prescription Drug program addressed to "the estate of Rita Barry."
The Alexander City, Ala., woman said she laughed when she first read the letter, which included condolences on her death and said her drug coverage would be ended.
The Montgomery Advertiser reports Barry's first call was to the local Social Security office. She then called the AARP.
Medicare doesn't understand what happened either -- even though it apparently prompted the hasty death notice when it informed Barry's insurer.
Barry -- who runs her own clothing store and has had three brain tumor surgeries and one breast cancer operation in the past 40 years -- wants three months of free drug coverage for being put through the stress.
URL: www.upi.com
Copyright 2006 by United Press International