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New Tools For
Choosing Medicare-Approved Discount Cards
April 5, 2004 - Additional resources to assist
Medicare clients in making choices about the 27 Medicare-approved drug
discount cards that will be available in May continues to be made
available by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Last week the agency expanded the
Prescription Drug and Other Assistance Programs section of
www.medicare.gov. By answering a
few questions, users can get customized results information about the
Medicare-approved drug discount cards including the names of cards
available to them, the enrollment fees and ways to contact the card
programs. (Note: important information is a list of the drugs you
require.)
Starting April 29, users will be able to compare
drug prices and find out which pharmacies in their area accept the new
Medicare-approved drug discount cards.
Other information available on the Web site
includes links to new publications and related Web sites, text on
understanding prescription drug coverage, and information on some ways
to save on prescription drugs through generic alternatives and use of
mail order pharmacies.
CMS is publishing a new four-page pamphlet
describing the Medicare-approved drug discount card program and a new
"Guide to Choosing a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card." The free
publications are available at
www.medicare.gov. Both can also be ordered by calling 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227).
While Medicare-approved sponsors have one more
month to finalize their products, they are planning to offer 48 general
drug discount cards, including 27 available nationally to all eligible
Medicare beneficiaries. Thirty-six of the general cards will charge a
fee of under $30 to enroll in a card, including five that will not
charge a fee.
In addition, many Medicare Advantage health plans
across the United States will offer Medicare-approved drug discount
cards as an integral part of their benefit package for their Medicare
enrollees.
"Beneficiaries will have many options to choose
from, and that means they will be able to select a plan that will truly
serve them best," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "Medicare will
be there helping them navigate their choices and find the one that's
right for their own circumstances."
"Beneficiaries will soon have important new
opportunities to lower their drug costs, with at least 27 national cards
to choose from, as well as others being offered regionally and by
Medicare Advantage plans in their communities," Secretary Thompson said.
"The cards will provide discounts on the high cost of prescription drugs
in just a few short months. We are aggressively reaching out to our
beneficiaries, to educate seniors about the valuable new program."
The new guide and Prescription Drug and Other
Assistance Programs Web site describe the Medicare-approved discount
card program, how to apply for a card and how the cards will work for
people with Medicare. In addition, the guide explains drug discounts,
including the price differences between generic drugs and brand name
drugs. The guide and Web site also explains who can qualify for the $600
credit and how to apply for that assistance.
"In addition to providing a fundamentally new way
for Medicare beneficiaries to find the best prices and the most help for
their drug purchases, the Medicare Web site goes even further in helping
low-income seniors and people with disabilities by including information
about ways to save even more by using less expensive drugs, including
generics," said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "The
updated Web site also lists other programs like state Medicaid plans,
state pharmaceutical programs and discount programs offered by
pharmaceutical manufacturers and the $600 credit available through the
Medicare-approved discount drug card program."
The cards will provide a $600 annual credit to
eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Individuals whose income
this year is less than $12,569 or married couples whose income this year
is less than $16,862 may qualify for this additional help. Medicare will
cover the cost of any enrollment fee for these low-income cardholders.
HHS will work aggressively to reach eligible low-income beneficiaries so
they understand this new program, and can enroll quickly.
Along with information about prescription drug
assistance programs generally, the information on the Web site will help
people with Medicare locate the cards that will be offered in their area
and their enrollment fees, if any. At the end of April, this database
will be expanded to include the discounted drug prices that each card
sponsor will offer to Medicare beneficiaries. Beginning May 3, seniors
and people with disabilities covered under Medicare will be able to
enroll in a card program, and begin to use the card on June 1. Customer
service representatives at 1-800-MEDICARE also will be able to answer
questions about the program, help beneficiaries compare drug cards on
price and network pharmacies, and refer callers to other appropriate
resources such as their local State Health Insurance Assistance Programs
(SHIPs).
HHS is reaching out to seniors and people living
with disabilities who are covered by Medicare, to inform them of
benefits available to them under the prescription drug card program.
Those efforts are described below:
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HHS will work with SHIPs to distribute
educational material to seniors to help them make choices.
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HHS will continue its 1-800-MEDICARE advertising
campaign to inform Medicare beneficiaries about the discount cards and
place an emphasis on explaining the low-income benefit. The campaign
will include television, radio, newspaper and Internet advertising in
both English and Spanish.
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HHS will mail a short, overview pamphlet directly
to every Medicare household starting late next month.
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The Social Security Administration will mail a
separate letter to Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomes, who are
likely to be eligible for the $600 credit.
The new Medicare drug discount card program
fulfills the promise that was made last September by all members of the
Congressional conference committee to provide this immediate relief to
seniors from their high drug costs.
The program was included in the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 as a means
to provide seniors immediate assistance on prescription drug costs
before the comprehensive Medicare drug benefit starts in 2006. In
addition to providing savings on prescription drugs, the new law also
improves preventive benefits and enhances access to doctors and medical
care for beneficiaries, especially those living in rural areas.
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