Diabetes News
June 28, (Kaiser Family Foundation) -- On July 1, the Social Security Administration and state Medicaid offices will begin reviewing applications from Medicare beneficiaries for low-income assistance under the new Medicare drug benefit.
An estimated 14.4 million people on Medicare with modest incomes and assets - including 6.3 million beneficiaries who now get prescription drug coverage under Medicaid - will be eligible for additional low-income assistance that will help cover the costs of premiums and cost-sharing under new Medicare prescription drug plans. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that Medicare beneficiaries who receive the low-income assistance will pay on average 83% less for prescription drugs in 2006 than they would have in the absence of the law creating the benefit.
The Foundation has a number of resources available at http://www.kff.org/medicare/rxdrugdebate.cfm that can help reporters writing about the low-income assistance program or the Medicare drug benefit more broadly. Reporters interested in talking to one of the Foundation's Medicare policy experts can contact Craig Palosky at craigp@kff.org or Sarah Carkhuff at sarahc@kff.org. Both can also be reached at (202) 347-5270.
Key resources include:
Fact Sheet on Low-Income Assistance Under the Medicare Drug Benefit, http://www.kff.org/medicare/7327.cfm. This fact sheet provides an overview of the drug benefit and the low-income subsidies and explores how such changes will affect participation and eligibility.
Prescription Drug Spending Under The MMA: Modeling The Impact On Out-of-Pocket Costs, http://www.kff.org/medicare/med112204pkg.cfm. This report projects the impact of the new Medicare drug benefit on out-of-pocket spending for people who enroll in 2006, including an assessment of the benefits for people with low incomes.
Low-Income Subsidies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: The Impact of the Asset Test, http://www.kff.org/medicare/7304.cfm. This study assesses the impact of the requirement that low-income people with Medicare meet an asset test in order to receive additional help paying premiums and cost-sharing under the new Medicare drug benefit. It estimates that 2.4 million beneficiaries with low incomes will not qualify for additional assistance because their assets exceed the level defined under law
Dual Eligibles: Medicaid's Role for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries, http://www.kff.org/medicaid/4091-03.cfm. This fact sheet and set of tables focuses on the low-income elderly and people with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. It highlights current policy challenges related to these "dual eligibles",including the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. A separate video at http://www.kff.org/medicaid/transitions_video.cfm explores some of the issues and challenges "dual eligibles" may face during the transition from Medicaid drug coverage to Medicare.
Workshop On Low-Income Medicare Drug Assistance - Webcast and Transcript, www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/kff/08june05. This June 8 Foundation workshop included updates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration on outreach and enrollment efforts, as well as perspectives on the challenges and strategies from those involved in outreach to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Key Implementation Dates for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, http://www.kff.org/medicare/mma_timeline.cfm. This timeline presents important dates and deadlines of key implementation activities related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA).
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