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All Prices on Website April 29
Medicare Approved Drug
Companies Lowering Cost for Lowest Income
Novartis and Merck Say
They Will Charge Small Fees for Additional Drugs Over $600 Allowance
April 15, 2004 Two drug companies
Novartis and Merck will provide prescription drugs for a small fee
for Medicare beneficiaries at the lowest income levels after they use up
their $600 Medicare credit, according to a statement by Mark B.
McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
And, starting April 29, Medicare will add to their Website comparison
prices for all drug companies in their approved card system.
Starting next month, Medicare
beneficiaries who need the most help will be able to enroll in the
Medicare-endorsed drug discount card program and also receive a $600
credit this year and again next year., said McClellan. We are pleased
that Novartis has taken a positive step to add support to this
critically needed assistance by providing its prescription drugs for a
small fee for beneficiaries who use up their $600. Merck recently
announced a similar program that would add to the new drug assistance
for low-income beneficiaries, and we hope and expect that other
companies will offer similar add-on assistance programs.
Medicare consumers can, if they choose,
enroll in one of the discount card programs as early as May 3, 2004. The
cards can be used for discounts starting June 1, 2004.
This additional assistance means that
it is even more important for beneficiaries with limited incomes who
need help with drug costs to sign up for a Medicare-endorsed discount
card next month, he said.
McClellan stated, The Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services and its partners are reaching out to the
older Americans and people with disabilities who have incomes below
$12,569 or married couples below $16,862 to make sure they take
advantage of these valuable programs. Medicares toll free hotline,
1-800-MEDICARE, and website,
www.medicare.gov, are one-stop shops for people to learn how they
can take advantage of the new $600 credit, as well as state assistance
programs in 20 states and over 100 manufacturer programs. All of these
steps amount to the best opportunities ever provided for seniors and
persons with disabilities who have the most difficulty paying for drugs
to get relief right away.
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