|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Survey Says Vast Majority Satisfied with Medicare
Drug Program
 April 3, 2006 - Four out of five senior citizens
who have voluntarily signed up for the Medicare prescription drug
program are satisfied with their coverage, according to a new survey
commissioned by the Medicare Rx Education Network. A majority of these
seniors report feeling better off than they were before and say they are
saving money.
The nationally representative telephone survey of
896 seniors 65 and older enrolled in Medicare was conducted by KRC
Research during March 15-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus
3.27 percentage points.
The survey found that 87 percent of those who
voluntarily enrolled in a stand-alone plan reported that the new
prescription drug benefit worked well. It also noted that 77 percent of
them reported peace of mind knowing that they have prescription drug
coverage.
The survey shows that seniors who have enrolled
are finding the benefit worth the time and effort that it takes to check
out the plans and sign up. The survey assessed seniors reactions to the
benefit to date so that the Medicare Rx Education Network can fine tune
its education efforts over the next six weeks, says former U.S. Senator
John Breaux, honorary chairman of the Medicare Rx Education Network.
|
If Have Prescription Drug
Coverage: And, overall, how satisfied are you with your
prescription drug coverage: Are you
|
|
|
Seniors with
Rx Coverage |
|
|
Have Rx |
Stand alone |
HMO/PPO |
Employer,
Union, VA |
|
NET: Satisfied |
84 |
78 |
76 |
92 |
|
NET: Unsatisfied |
10 |
13 |
18 |
5 |
|
Very satisfied |
62 |
48 |
59 |
69 |
|
Somewhat satisfied |
23 |
30 |
17 |
23 |
|
Not too satisfied |
5 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
|
Not at all satisfied |
5 |
7 |
11 |
1 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
6 |
9 |
6 |
2 |
Results indicate that enrollees have multiple
reasons for signing up for the benefit, all of which they consider
important. These reasons include having the medicines they need when
they need them (93 percent); being able to afford their medicine (91
percent); paying less for their prescription drugs starting now (87
percent); and having long-term insurance in case their prescription drug
expenses go up (84 percent).
The majority (58 percent) of those enrolled in
stand-alone plans said it was not difficult to sign up for a plan. One
in three seniors (38 percent) said it was difficult. When asked what
they would tell others who are thinking of enrolling, four in five (82
percent) said they would advise others to do the math and see what plan
is best; 80 percent said they would advise researching which medicines
are covered by the plans, and 82 percent said they would
advise getting help from someone in choosing a plan.
 These results indicate that beneficiaries need
one-on-one counseling to help them identify a plan. Seniors need to
bring to the counseling session a list of their medicines, the dosage
and frequency, and current cost so that counselors can find plans that
cover the seniors medicines and provide savings, says Dr. Larry
Fields, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a member
of the Medicare Rx Education Network.
Survey author Mark David Richards of KRC Research
says that the survey shows that while some beneficiaries are
encountering difficulties in signing up, they find the benefit works
well and is worth the time and effort once they are enrolled.
Nearly nine in 10 who received medicines through their new benefit said
it worked well for them. Sixty-seven percent said that, overall, they
are better off now than they were before, and 59 percent reported that
they have lowered the amount of money they spend on medications.
 Most (59 percent) of those surveyed who had not yet
enrolled said that choosing a plan is difficult, and about half (47
percent) of those actively looking said they did not have enough
information to make up their mind.
 These same seniors who have yet to enroll said the
top four places or persons they have gone for information or
assistance are their pharmacist (67 percent), their doctor (58 percent),
the Medicare & You handbook (72 percent), and friends and acquaintances
(64 percent). State health insurance assistance programs and the
Medicare toll-free number ranked further down the list 49 percent and
44 percent respectively despite the availability of personal
counseling at both these resources.
Based on the findings, the Medicare Rx Education
Network plans over the next six weeks (through the end of open
enrollment on May 15) to:
★
Step up Network efforts to get seniors the one-on-one help they need
with sorting out the benefit by connecting them with counselors who can
identify plans that cover their medicines, are affordable and provide
savings. To date, the Network has held over 2,650 events around the
country, many of which have had one-on-one counseling. The Network plans
to increase awareness of, and attendance at, the over 500 upcoming
events to be held between now and May 15;
★
Drive people to underutilized resources, including the Medicare
toll-free number (1-800-MEDICARE, or 1-800-633-4227), state health
insurance assistance programs, and local senior advocacy groups and
community groups that provide one-on-one counseling; and
★
Increase educational efforts to explain the insurance nature of the
Medicare benefit, which assures beneficiaries including those
presently healthy and taking few or no medications coverage for
prescription drugs should their medical condition change and
prescription drug-needs increase.
Medicare Rx Education Network Survey of Seniors,
including the total report in pdf, is available at
www.medicarerxeducation.org.
The Medicare Rx Education Network
provides information and assistance with outreach and enrollment for the
new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The network, which
includes 70 national organizations, is chaired by former U.S. Senator
John Breaux. Members share an interest in educating Medicare
beneficiaries about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and will
work closely with the appropriate federal agencies to obtain up-to-date
information to ensure that information disseminated by the network about
Medicare Part D is factual and accurately conveyed, thereby pre-empting
confusion about the benefit and equipping beneficiaries and their
caregivers to make informed choices. By sharing information with each
other about member organizations independent efforts, collaborating on
activities, and identifying ways to work together, the network aims to
eliminate duplication of efforts and maximize the effectiveness of
outreach efforts. The network does not engage in legislative activities
or take positions on pending legislative or administrative policies
related to the Part D benefit and its implementation.
Click here to Search SeniorJournal.com for more on
this subject
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
