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Medicare 'Green Letter' Going to Those Approved for
Extra Help with Drug Program
Tells applicants the plan they are assigned to if
they take no action by April 30
 March 20, 2006 This week the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services begins mailing "green letters" to approximately
1.2 million senior citizens and others with Medicare who have been
approved for "extra help" in paying for the prescription drug program.
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Everyone in Medicare now has access to prescription
drug coverage, regardless of their income or how they get their
Medicare. For those with limited incomes, there is extra help providing
comprehensive coverage with no or low premiums and low or no deductible.
To ensure that beneficiaries receive the benefit of
the extra help, CMS is facilitating the enrollment of certain
beneficiaries into prescription drug plans.
This week, CMS will begin mailing letters to the
1.2 million people with Medicare who have applied for and been approved
for the extra help, and those who are enrolled in other federal
assistance programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and
Medicare Savings Programs.
The letters let the beneficiary know in which
Medicare prescription drug plan they will be enrolled if they take no
action before April 30.
Unless they enroll on their own during March, these
beneficiaries will have their prescription drug coverage begin on May 1.
CMS is enrolling these beneficiaries earlier to
make sure that they receive the benefit of the extra help immediately,
and without having to pay a penalty. These beneficiaries can still
decline the enrollment before it becomes effective, and would not be
charged a premium.
A copy of the letter will be available online at
www.cms.hhs.gov. (Editor's Note: We were unable to find the letter
online but it may not have yet been published.)
The letter will be printed on green paper so that
it can be readily identified by beneficiaries, their family members, and
other organizations that counsel beneficiaries about their Medicare
Choices.
Many of these individuals will not be charged a
premium for this drug coverage. However, some of these individuals
qualify for sliding-scale premium assistance. But if those
beneficiaries dont enroll in a plan by May 15, 2006, and dont have
prescription drug coverage that is as good as Medicares, they will have
to pay more for this coverage if they want to enroll later.
Beneficiaries whose employer or union plan sponsor
is claiming the retiree drug subsidy on their behalf will not be
included in this facilitated enrollment process.
However, it is possible that a beneficiary with
other drug coverage that is as good as or better than Medicare
prescription drug coverage will still be enrolled by CMS because he or
she qualifies for extra help. These beneficiaries may want to keep their
current coverage and decline enrollment from Medicare.
These beneficiaries should read the letter they
received from their employer or union (or the plan that administers
their drug coverage), because employers and unions can work with
Medicare prescription drug coverage in different ways.
Those with questions, they should call their plan
or benefits administrator or the office that answers questions about
their benefits. They may want to keep their current coverage and decline
enrollment from Medicare by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
CMS also worked with State Pharmacy Assistance
Programs in New York, New Jersey , Connecticut , Pennsylvania , and
Illinois to make sure that any of their members that the State plans to
enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan are not also facilitated
enrolled by CMS.
All of the plans that qualify for the automatic
enrollment must meet Medicares standards for access to medically
necessary drugs at a convenient local pharmacy.
Beneficiaries also have the option to change plans
if they are unhappy with the plan into which CMS facilitated them. The
letters will also help ensure that these beneficiaries are aware that
they can choose a different approved plan in their area, and that they
can call 1-800-MEDICARE to find out more about these plans.
The letters make it clear to beneficiaries that
they can choose a different approved plan in their area. The green
facilitated enrollment letter will list all the prescription drug plans
available in their region with premiums at or below the low-income
premium subsidy amount. It also recommends calling 1-800-MEDICARE to
find out more about these plans.
Beneficiaries can get personalized information
about their prescription drug plan options. 1-800-MEDICARE is available
at anytime with little or no waiting. People can also go to
www.medicare.gov, or get face-to-face help from one of the many
partner organizations, such as the State Health Insurance Programs or
attend one of the many enrollment events being held around the country
to get additional information about their drug coverage options.
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