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Website, Hotline Improved
Four Million Signed Up for Medicare Drug Cards but
More Improvements in Communications Announced Today
July 15, 2004 – Medicare says 4 million have now
signed up for the Medicare drug cards but they are still pushing hard to
spread the word by making improvements to the Website and call-in phone
line.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
today announced improvements in the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card
Program Website and the 1-800 MEDICARE number to make it easier for
Medicare beneficiaries to start using a Medicare drug card to lower
their drug costs.
Nearly 4 million Medicare beneficiaries have signed
up for the Medicare-approved cards, including almost 1 million who will
get a $600 credit this year to further help them pay for their
prescription drugs.
“Seniors and people with a disability who are
using the Medicare discount cards are seeing real savings over what they
would be paying retail for their prescription drugs,” said Health and
Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. “We are making it easier
for seniors – especially those eligible for the $600 credit – to sign up
for a card so they won’t have any excuse not to take advantage of the
benefits these cards provide.”
CMS has improved the “Price Compare” tool making it
even easier to find out about drug prices and to choose a discount card
on
www.medicare.gov. For example, the process of entering beneficiary
information has been simplified, with an integrated “drug dictionary”
making it easier and faster to enter drug information.
In addition, the Price Compare tool helps target a
beneficiary’s choice by providing the five lowest priced
Medicare-approved drug discount cards that fit that beneficiary’s
individual drug needs. These changes are also be reflected in the
customer service assistance that beneficiaries get when they call
1-800-MEDICARE, so getting information and enrolling by phone is easier
and faster as well. Finally, CMS is providing enhanced information on
state and manufacturer programs.
“About 3.9 million Medicare beneficiaries have
enrolled in drug cards after just the first month, and around 25
thousand more beneficiaries are signing up every business day,” said CMS
Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D “We’ve heard a lot of good
ideas from beneficiaries and our own staff about how we can make it more
efficient for still more beneficiaries to get savings now, and we’re
taking action.”
Any Medicare beneficiary who does not have drug
coverage through Medicaid is eligible to enroll in a Medicare-approved
drug discount cards, but those who do not have good drug coverage now
will find the greatest benefits. The discount card program is an urgent
interim step until the Medicare drug benefit is implemented on Jan. 1,
2006. Many Medicare beneficiaries currently have some drug coverage
and the new Medicare law will strengthen that coverage. As of July12,
approximately 3.9 million Medicare beneficiaries had signed up for a
drug card, which is more than halfway to the projected 7.4 million that
were projected to enroll.
The new enhancements include:
A “Top 5 – Best
Choice” list of the five cards that offer the lowest aggregate prices
for an individual’s drugs (beneficiaries who want more information on
more cards can get it);
“Enrollment
information” buttons to provide easy-to-access, easy-to-use information
on how to enroll. This includes online enrollment for all cards that
offer it - 36 different cards at this time;
Significant
improvements to the drug entry tool making it quicker for users to enter
their drug information, including entering all drug information at one
time;
An improved display
of drug pricing information making it easier for users to compare the
price differences between brand and generic drugs;
More information
about state pharmacy assistance programs;
Additional details
about manufacturer “wrap-around” programs that offer additional
discounts for beneficiaries who qualify for the $600 credit;
A new “special
features” link that provides updated card sponsor information such as
online enrollment availability and manufacturer “wrap-around” programs;
and
A new tool under
“resources” allowing users to select their state and immediately see a
listing of all drug card sponsors in their area.
Many of the new enhancements were generated from
suggestions and comments received from beneficiaries and their family
members, individuals who work with older Americans, such as the State
Health Insurance Assistance Programs, and health care providers. CMS
will continue to make improvements based on constructive comments on the
website. In fact, there is a feedback button on each page of the web
site so CMS can hear directly from users.
Each of these enhancements will also make it more
efficient for callers to the toll-free hotline, 1-800-MEDICARE, to get
information. There are now 3,000 operators answering an average of
50,000 calls a day at the 24-hour hotline. Wait time for a customer
service representative is less than two minutes. The Medicare customer
service representatives answer questions about the drug card, walk
callers through the information available at
www.medicare.gov. Beneficiaries who call can also get the
information they need in a personalized brochure mailed to them the next
day. Then, signing up for a card requires only filling out a two-page
form or calling the card sponsor’s 800 number.
“Not only have we made it better and faster than
ever to find out what the Medicare drug card program means for you –
there’s also more evidence than ever before that the cards provide
important savings,” said Dr. McClellan.
“Choosing a card is more straightforward than ever
and the Medicare-approved cards offer substantial savings over retail
prices,” he says. A compilation of these studies can be found at
www.cms.hhs.gov/discountdrugs. |
