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Government Shells Out $3.95 Million in New Medicare
Drug Program Enrollment Effort
Sept. 30, 2004 - More than 100 community-based
organizations and coalitions representing nearly 700 individual
organizations will receive a total of $3.95 million from the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Administration on Aging (AoA
to help educate and enroll senior citizens and people with a disability
about the benefits of the Medicare-approved drug discount card.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson made the announcement today and described
this as an unprecedented public-private outreach effort with hundreds of
community organizations all across the nation to help millions of
eligible seniors and people with a disability begin saving on their
prescription drugs right away.
"We want seniors to get the full $1,200 credit for
their medicines over the next 14 months. This is real savings for
seniors who need the most help," Secretary Thompson said. "We need to
work together and focus on how communities can help seniors enroll in
the program so they don't leave this money on the table."
"The Medicare drug card can provide literally
thousands of dollars in help, so that people with Medicare on a fixed
income won't have to choose between their drugs and other basic
necessities," said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.
"Nearly two million people will be receiving cards that provide big
savings in the mail, and we are working with many other organizations to
make sure these beneficiaries and many more take advantage of the
savings."
Last week, Secretary Thompson announced that 22
national discount cards will be mailed to 1.8 million Medicare
beneficiaries who will be able to use the cards immediately to get
savings at pharmacies. In addition to receiving the card, beneficiaries
will also receive instructions on how to activate the $1,200 benefit. To
do so, recipients will have to verify by phone that they do not have
other drug coverage and provide information to help determine how much
they should expect to pay for their drugs at the pharmacy.
"Seniors who get Medicare-approved drug discount
cards in the mail will only have to pick up the phone to receive the
$1,200 benefit," said AoA Assistant Secretary Josefina G. Carbonell.
"The community organizations that work with seniors where they live are
the best way in reaching seniors to help them access ways to save
money."
A CMS analysis has found that Medicare
beneficiaries can save from 44 percent to 77 percent off the average
retail price for name brand drugs when they combine the lower cost drugs
with the $600 credit. Savings will be larger, often exceeding 90
percent, when the credit is combined with a "wraparound" program from
drug manufacturers or with other savings opportunities like generic
drugs or state pharmacy assistance programs. These wraparound discounts,
which reduce drug prices to $15 or less, are available on more than 200
brand-name drugs, including six of the 10 drugs used most by seniors.
Organizations that received the awards:
-- Are community-based non-profit organization or
public entity that serves low-income and underserved Medicare
beneficiaries
-- Have a mission that is compatible and
complements the efforts to educate seniors about federal programs and
demonstrates experience in providing outreach and education to the
target population
-- Are able to meet performance goals by assisting
to enroll Medicare beneficiaries into the drug cards
-- Have access to e-mail and the Internet so CMS
and AOA can provide updated information that the organizations can share
with beneficiaries in each community.
A list of awardees is available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040930a.html.
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