Senior Center Presentation

Offers Medicare Part D Update

By Nancy K. Crevier

 Thirty-five feet long and 13½ feet tall, The Department of Social Service (DSS) Rx-Express bus arrived at the Newtown Senior Center on Riverside Road, Thursday, November 30, along with Frederick Diggs from the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services, two other counselors, and a representative of the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA), Eric Freedman. Following an update by Mr Freedman on the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan for 2007, Mr Diggs and the other volunteers were available to assist senior citizens in selecting a prescription drug plan and enrolling or changing their enrollment to a better plan.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan is a federal program that provides partial payment of prescriptions for senior citizens through voluntary enrollment with a private company. It does not cover the costs of any over the counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, or any drugs purchased outside of the United States.

In a brief presentation, Mr Freedman clarified the changes to the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for 2007, initiating his talk with the comment, “If you thought that this year’s plan was going to be easier, it’s not.”

For one thing, said Mr Freedman, this year there are 54 private companies offering drug plans, up from 41 last year. While more options can be a positive thing for consumers, it can also mean more time must be spent determining which company is best suited to an individual.

Sign up for 2007 lasts only six weeks, from November 15, 2006 to December 31, 2006, unlike the first year of the Part D plan when sign up was a six-month period, said Mr Freedman, He note a lifelong penalty of $1.91 for every month an eligible person chose not to enroll in the program. In other words, since there were seven months in 2006 in which a person could have taken part in the Part D plan, for those seniors choosing to take part in the plan for the first time now, they would be assessed an additional $13.37 on top of the monthly premium. The penalty is cumulative, so every year that an eligible person declines to take part in the Medicare Part D, an additional penalty is assessed.

As with so many other things, said Mr Freedman, monthly premiums have increased this year. While last year the least expensive plan available was just over $7, in 2007 monthly premiums range between $13.40 and $87.40, depending on which company is selected. The annual deductible fee has increased from $250 to $265 this year. The second phase of the plan in which Medicare pays 75 percent and the participant covers 25 percent of prescription costs is capped this year at $2,400 this year, up from last year’s cap of $2,250, and the infamous donut hole gap now falls between that $2,400 and $5,425, during which the consumer must pay $3,800 out of pocket. At that point, catastrophic coverage kicks in, said Mr Freedman, and the plan covers 95 percent of the prescription costs. He emphasized that all of these numbers are annual, meaning that every January the deductibles start over.

Still, for many seniors with no prescription plan, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan can save them money. It is important to reassess needs during this sign-up period, said Mr Freedman, even if a person signed up last year. “It would be prudent to find out how your present plan compares now,” he said. “Plans have changed over the year, so take the time to compare plans again. Also, if you are taking new medications, find out if your plan is still the cheapest.”

Because several weeks remain to sign up for the plan, Mr Freedman encouraged those present to take their time in deciding which plan is best suited to them. “Don’t panic,” he said.

In closing, Mr Freedman warned that senior citizens should be alert to phone calls urging them to sign up. “This is one method of identity theft,” he said. “Medicare cannot enroll you by phone unless you call them,” he emphasized. “Do not give out any personal information over the phone,” Mr Freedman advised, particularly social security numbers or bank account numbers. “If at any time during a phone call you feel uncomfortable, just hang up the phone. It is better to be rude than ripped off,” Mr Freedman told the group.

Outside of the Senior Center, Frederick Diggs and the counselors waited in the Rx-Express bus to help seniors wade through the plans. The Rx-Express is equipped with four computer stations, a SMART Board, privacy booths, and an information station to assist with Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan enrollment. Senior citizens who had signed up prior to the presentation filled out a form listing all of the prescriptions they presently take, boarded the bus, and were guided through a program that narrowed down their options to the three least expensive company plans that would best suit their individual needs. Participants had the opportunity to enroll in the program aboard the Rx-Express, although that was not required, said Mr Diggs.

The Rx-Express, said Mr Diggs, has been on the road since last November, visiting senior centers, community centers, health fairs, and other venues where seniors could make use of their expertise. “What we are doing,” said Mr Diggs, “is supporting efforts of the agencies on aging around the state.”

The wheelchair accessible bus, topped off with a satellite dish and its own power generator, also serves as a source of information of other state programs that aid seniors, Mr Diggs said. The mobile assistance center is operated jointly by the Connecticut Department of Social Services and CHOICES, Connecticut’s program for Health assistance, Outreach, Information and referral, Counseling and Eligibility Screening.

For information on enrolling in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, contact the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging at 757-5449, Newtown Social Services at 270-4330, or the Newtown Senior Center at 270-4310.

And if, as Mr Freedman joked,  “you have the patience of a Buddhist monk,” information can be accessed by calling Medicare directly at 800-633-4227.