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Medicare Says Enroll Early in Month for Drug Program
Service the Next Month
HHS
says problems being fixed, offers more tips for seniors on enrolling
Feb. 10, 2006 Medicare prescription drug program
problems are being fixed, says Health and Human Services Secretary Mike
Leavitt, who is also urging senior citizens to sign up for the program
early in the month to assure service the next month.
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Read more news on
Medicare Drug Program
Learn more
about How to
Enroll in Medicare Drug Program |
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Millions of people with Medicare enrolled in
prescription drug plans are leaving pharmacy counters with their
prescription drugs, and at a significant savings since the drug coverage
began on Jan. 1, according to HHS.
Medicares new prescription drug coverage is
working for millions of seniors and people with disabilities. At the
same time, we are making progress in fixing problems that some may be
experiencing at the pharmacy counter, said Health and Human Services
Secretary Mike Leavitt.
One way to reduce problems is for beneficiaries to
earlier in the month to ensure they will be able to get their medicines
the first of the next month.
If a person enrolls or changes plans before the
15th day of any month, it is much more likely that things will go
smoothly at the pharmacy counter than if they enroll later in the
month. A beneficiary who enrolls after the 15th of the month, may need
to spend extra time at the counter working details out.
CMS expects the percentages of those who have to
spend extra time at the pharmacy counter will decline as more and more
people get and use their new prescription drug cards.
People with Medicare should remember:
● After your prescription drug plan has processed
your enrollment application, you should get an acknowledgement letter or
confirmation letter from the plan you joined. This may take several
days, so if you enrolled towards the end of January, you will get your
letter sometime the first week of February.
● If you need to fill a prescription
Take your acknowledgement or confirmation letter with you to the
pharmacy until you get a membership card.
1. If you havent gotten a letter yet,
you might have one or more of the following to bring with you to the
pharmacy: a welcome letter from the plan, an enrollment confirmation
number, or a copy of an enrollment application signed by a plan
representative.
2. If you have both Medicare and
Medicaid or have been approved for the low-income subsidy (extra help
paying for prescriptions), bring a copy of your yellow automatic
enrollment letter from Medicare, a Medicaid card, your approval letter
from the Social Security Administration, or other proof that you qualify
for extra help.
3. If you need to get a prescription
before you get your letter or membership card, let your pharmacist know
your plan name and bring one of the items above to get your
prescriptions it just may take some extra time.
4. As a last resort, if you pay
out-of-pocket for your prescription, save your receipts and work with
your plan to be reimbursed.
If you have any questions about your prescription
drug coverage, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE or your plans toll-free
phone line, said Secretary Leavitt.
CMS has also posted a tipsheet for Medicare
partners about enrolling early in the month. The information in pdf
format is available by clicking
here.
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