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Window Opens to Switch Medicare Drug Card, Deadline
to Enroll Approaches
Hundreds of local organizations involved in last
minute education program; Area Agencies on Aging began today
Nov. 15, 2004 Critical time periods are at hand
for the Medicare Drug Program. Today the window opens for switching to a
new Medicare drug discount card and this window closes on Dec. 31, 2004,
which is also the deadline for joining the program.
There will be a flurry of activities in these next
few weeks in an attempt to boost the enrollment. In September, more than
100 community-based organizations and coalitions representing nearly 700
individual organizations were named to 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 in the Medicare-approved drug discount card
program.
Many of these local organizations are associated
with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the
National Association of Sate Units on Aging (NASUA), which today
launched a series of outreach and education events as part of the
Aging Network Medicare Rx Outreach Campaign involving State and Area
Agencies on Aging across the nation. During November and December, these
agencies will be hosting events where Medicare beneficiaries can learn
more about the Medicare-approved discount drug cards available and
receive on-site enrollment assistance.
Any Medicare beneficiary who is not enrolled in
Medicaid is eligible to sign-up for one of the discount drug cards. In
addition, low-income seniors are eligible for $1,200 in transitional
credits to assist them with their prescription drug costs over the next
14-months. The campaign will target communities with a high population
of low-income seniors. Medicare has estimated that approximately 7.4
million beneficiaries are eligible for the credit, however to date less
than 2 million have enrolled so far.
State and Area Agencies on Aging will also
participate in a coordinated outreach effort through their Aging
Information & Referral/Assistance (I&R/A) Programs aimed at reaching
low-income Medicare beneficiaries with a single concise message about
the Medicare transitional assistance credit available in 2004 and 2005.
The I&R/A outreach campaign is an intensive effort from November 15
through December 15, 2004, intended to demonstrate the capacity of the
aging I&R/A system to reach out to consumers and facilitate their access
to needed programs.
During the Aging Network Medicare Rx Outreach
Campaign, ten target site events will take place in:
Atlanta, GA Atlanta Regional Commission and
Georgia Division of Aging Services (12/4);
Baltimore, MD Baltimore City CARES and
Maryland Department of Aging (11/24); Buffalo, NY Erie County
Department of Senior Services and New York State Office for the Aging
(12/2-3);
Columbus, OH Central Ohio AAA and Ohio
Department on Aging (11/10);
Detroit, MI Detroit AAA and Michigan Office
of Services to the Aging (11/29);
Jackson, MS Central MS Planning and
Development District/AAA and Mississippi Council on Aging, Division of
Aging and Adult Services (11/17-18);
Phoenix, AZ AAA, Region One and Arizona
Aging & Adult Administration (11/18); Raleigh, NC Triangle J AAA
and North Carolina Division of Aging Department of Health and Human
Services (10/26);
Rio Grande Valley, TX Lower Rio Grande
Valley AAA and Texas Dept. of Aging & Disability Services (11/16-18);
and
Seattle, WA Seattle County Aging &
Disability Services and Washington Aging & Disability Services,
Department of Social and Health Services (11/13).
In addition to these target sites, many other State
and Area Agencies on Aging around the country will also be holding
education events during November and December in an effort to ensure
that every low-income senior is aware of their options and how to go
about signing-up before the December 31 deadline.
During the past five months state and local aging
agencies have been working diligently to provide older adults and their
caregivers with information and assistance on the Medicare discount drug
card program, said Dan Quirk, Executive Director of NASUA.
With the December 31 deadline for the 2004 credit
fast approaching, our goal through this campaign is to make sure every
low-income senior is aware of the opportunity for $600 this year and
another $600 in 2005 and that they know there is local help available to
assist them in taking the steps to sign-up before the end of December,
added n4a CEO Sandy Markwood.
Today, n4a and NASUA released, 5 Things to Know
about the New Medicare Rx Discount Card Program to help seniors and
their families. The five tips are:
Any senior who has Medicare and is not enrolled in
Medicaid is eligible for a Medicare-approved prescription drug discount
card.
Seniors with an annual income of no more than
$12,569 for a single person, and no more than $16,862 for a married
couple qualify for a $600 credit in 2004 and another $600 credit in
2005. Those with slightly higher incomes may qualify for other
prescription drug assistance programs.
The Medicare discount card program gives seniors
many different cards to choose from, however, beneficiaries can only
enroll in one Medicare-approved discount card at a time. Seniors should
choose the card that offers the best discounts on the medicines they
take.
For more information, call 1-800 MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227), visit the Medicare web site at
www.medicare.gov, or contact your State Health Insurance and
Assistance Program (SHIP) for additional counseling and one-on-one
assistance. A listing of SHIP programs with toll-free numbers is
available at www.medicare.gov/contacts/static/allStateContacts.asp.
The maximum fee for the discount card is $30 per
year.
The Aging Network has a long-standing track record
of successfully providing assistance, benefits counseling and
easy-to-understand information to millions of older adults, especially
those with low-incomes. With the increase in Medicare beneficiary
options under the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and
Modernization Act, the network has stepped up its efforts to meet the
tremendous need for beneficiary assistance and education.
Since the Medicare discount card program began in
June 2004, state and local aging agencies across the country have worked
along with State Health Insurance and Assistance Programs to provide
older adults in their communities with quality information and answers
on the changes to Medicare.
The Aging Network Medicare Rx Outreach Campaign
is part of a larger effort over the next twelve months that will serve
to educate beneficiaries about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug
benefit beginning in January 2006 and the new preventive health benefits
set to take effect in January 2005. The campaign is being spearheaded by
the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the
National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) with support from
the U.S. Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services. For more information on the n4a-NASUA Medicare Rx
outreach project, visit
www.medicarerxoutreach.org.
FACT SHEET
Seniors Can Get Immediate Financial Help with
Prescription Drug Costs!
Low-income seniors can really benefit from the
Medicare Rx drug discount card when they qualify for the $600
transitional assistance credit.
To get the $600 credit, seniors can have an annual
income of no more than $12,569 for a single person and no more than
$16,862 for a married couple. Those with slightly higher incomes may
qualify for other prescription drug assistance programs.
The Clock is ticking to get it: Seniors must sign
up by December 31. If they do, seniors will get $1,200 to pay for
Medicine between now and the end of 2005.
That is why November has been designated
Aging Network Medicare Rx Outreach Month.
Seniors are confused by the various discount card
programs that are available. Some dont have computers to access
discount card information on the Internet
for others getting
information over the phone is not an option. Many need help
understanding the various cards and programs that are available.
Fortunately, there is a local resource available to help sort it all
out.
State and Area Agencies on Aging and Native
American aging programs have launched a nationwide campaign to help
seniors with their prescription drug costs. The campaigns main
objective is to provide low-income beneficiaries with the information
and assistance they need to take advantage of the $600 transitional
assistance credit offered in 2004, before that opportunity expires on
December 31, 2004.
Trained volunteers will help seniors complete
applications in cities across the U.S.
For information: Go to
www.medicare.gov/maddc/home.asp, or call 1-800 MEDICARE
(633-4227).
About Changing to a New Card
From November 15, 2004 through December 31, 2004
you may switch to another card, which will become effective on January
1, 2005.
There are some special circumstances in which you
may disenroll from your current card and enroll in another one during
the year. These are:
If you move out
of the service area of your current discount card
If you enter or
leave a long-term care facility (like a nursing home)
If you enroll in
or disenroll from a Medicare managed care plan
If the
Medicare-approved drug discount card you are currently enrolled is no
longer offered
In 2004, if you choose to leave the
Medicare-approved drug discount card you are currently enrolled in for
any reason other than those listed above, you can only apply for a new
discount card between November 15 and December 31, 2004, which you can
begin using on January 1, 2005.
In 2005, if you choose to leave the
Medicare-approved drug discount card you are enrolled in for any reason
other than those listed above, you cannot apply for a new discount card.
December 31, 2004 deadline to enroll in the
Medicare-approved drug discount card program and receive the $600 credit
for 2004.
About
Enrollment by Dec. 31, 2004
In general, your
selected sponsor must receive completed enrollment forms for the
Medicare-approved drug discount card program and the 2004 $600 credit by
December 31, 2004. If you are eligible for the $600 credit and enroll
by the deadline, you will receive the following:
The $600 credit
for 2004 that will be carried over to the 2005 calendar year.
An additional
$600 credit for 2005, making a total of $1,200 available to you to
purchase covered drugs through the Medicare-approved drug discount card
program.
Your enrollment in
the selected drug card program will be effective January 1, 2005.
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