Senator Voinovich and Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services present at St. Vincent Charity Hospital on the Prescription Drug Discount Card Program
Senator Voinovich and Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services present at St. Vincent Charity Hospital on the Prescription Drug Discount Card Program |
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Dr. John A. Bastulli, the AMC/NOMA Vice President of Legislative Affairs spent some time with Dr. McClellan and Senator Voinovich following their presentations. |
A session was held at SVCH to bring community leaders and seniors together to learn more about the prescription drugs benefits. The benefit is the direct result of a new law to bring people with Medicare more choices in health care coverage and to provide better health care benefits. The law added important new prescription drug and preventative benefits, and provides extra help to people with low incomes.
Senator Voinovich and Dr. McClellan both indicated that there are thousands of Ohioans that have not taken advantage of this benefit or the prescription drug card that would qualify. Many are eligible for the $600 transitional assistance program that have Medicare Part A and/or Part B, if their annual income for 2004 is less than $12,569 (single) or $16,862 (married.) and they do not have drug coverage through other policies such as Medicaid. Seniors with no insurance coverage for their prescriptions are eligible for a $600 government subsidy toward their drug purchases – the subsidy is available both 2004 and 2005. There are also special discount available. If eligible seniors sign up for this subsidy before the end of 2004 it does carry over into 2005 as well.
Because enrollment has been slow, the Senator and Dr. McClellan are asking for help from churches and other outreach programs to make seniors aware of these cost saving programs. The Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging and the Cleveland Department of Aging are both working on helping eligible seniors sign up for the program. Detailed information was also provided on the program from the Ohio Department of Insurance and the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP.) Physicians are encouraged to provide their Medicare patients with the following resource information on this topic: 1-800-Medicare (633-4227), or www.Medicare.gov. Or they may contact OSHIIP at 1-800-686-1578, or www.ohioinsurance.gov/prescriptiondrugs/index.asp
If physician members are interested in obtaining brochures for their offices, please contact the AMC/NOMA at 216-520-1000, ext. 314.