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Welcome to "Ask the White House" -- an online interactive forum where you can submit questions to Administration officials and friends of the White House. Visit the "Ask the White House" archives to read other discussions with White House officials.
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August 29, 2005
Leslie Norwalk
Good afternoon, this is Leslie Norwalk, the Deputy Administrator of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that oversees the Medicare program. I am pleased to be answering your questions today about the new Medicare prescription drug coverage that will be available to all people with Medicare in January 2006. Forty years ago, Medicare was created to guarantee health care for seniors and people with disabilities. Since then, millions of Americans have appreciated the dependable health care coverage that Medicare has provided for treatment from doctors and hospitals when they get sick. In the years following Medicare's creation, though, medicine has changed. Modern medicine is increasingly about prevention, early diagnosis, and patient involvement, and prescription medication. If prescription drugs can prevent the surgery and limb amputations that used to be standard diabetes treatment, then it makes no sense not to use them. The same goes for heart disease, or arthritis, or any chronic disease that today can be managed with medication. Medicare, unfortunately, hasn't kept up with modern, prevention-oriented care. But that's changing. Medicare is becoming more focused on prevention. Instead of just paying for costly complications when you get sick, Medicare is going to pay for preventive care and drugs to help beneficiaries stay well. Starting January 1, Medicare will provide voluntary prescription drug coverage to ALL Medicare beneficiaries. Finally, seniors and people with disabilities are going to get help with up-to-date, life-enhancing prescription medicines. While the drug benefit is for all Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of income, Medicare will provide extra help to people with limited means. With this extra assistance, Medicare will cover approximately 95% of their prescription drug costs. For most people with limited means, the extra help means no premiums, no deductibles, no gap in coverage, and co-pays of only a few dollars for all prescriptions. No one with Medicare will ever again have to face the terrible choice between medicine and life's other basic necessities, like rent or food. To learn about the Medicare prescription drug benefit, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov. Eunice, from Far Rockaway
writes: Leslie Norwalk
If you have limited resources, you may find that Medicaid, which is run by your state, will provide you with even more health care coverage. In New York, you can contact the New York State Dept of Health at 800-541-2831 to learn more about Medicaid and how it can help you. William, from Brevard, NC
writes: Leslie Norwalk 1. The Medicare drug benefit will offer help for everyone on Medicare, whether they are age 65 or over, or on Medicare because of a disability. It will provide help to beneficiaries even if they have a pre-existing condition. This is real help: On average, it will provide over $1100 in financial support. For a typical senior, it will cut the bills in half. ALL Medicare beneficiaries are eligible, regardless of their income. 2. The Medicare drug benefit offers comprehensive protection against very high drug costs. After a person spends $3600 it will pay for 95% of medications peace of mind that people with Medicare will not use all of their savings if medication bills are high. 3. The Medicare drug benefit will pay for brand-name and generic drugs. Drugs can be obtained through a local retail pharmacy or through mail-order. And, it will workno matter how someone gets Medicare today.
Vern, from Grand Marsh, WI
writes: Leslie Norwalk
The Medicare prescription drug benefit is being provided through private insurance companies that are approved by the Medicare program. These companies are negotiating on behalf beneficiaries for lower drug prices. They will be offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in January to all Medicare beneficiaries for a monthly premium. While the average premium is $32 a month, beneficiaries will have access to at least one plan with premiums under $20, and in some states that premium will be much lower than $20. More information will be contained in the 2006 Medicare & You Handbook, which Medicare beneficiaries will receive in the mail in mid-October. To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug benefit choices, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov.
Sara, from Minnesota writes: Leslie Norwalk
More information about these plans will be available beginning in October. Gary, from Baton Rouge, La.
writes: Leslie Norwalk If you are interested in receiving prescription drug coverage under the Medicare program, you will have to sign up for the benefit between November 15, 2005 and May 15, 2006, and by December 31, 2005 for benefits to begin in January 2006. If you already have prescription drug coverage through a previous employer or through TriCare for Life, you may want to keep this existing coverage rather than sign up for the new Medicare drug benefit. You should ask your employer if the coverage you have is as good as the Medicare program. This is sometimes referred to as Creditable Coverage.
People who currently have Medicaid and are over the age of 65 will be automatically enrolled in this new benefit.
Sara, from Michigan writes: Leslie Norwalk Rosemarie, from Florida writes: Leslie Norwalk If you do not have drug coverage under your AARP policy, you should continue that coverage as it is. If you do have drug coverage under your AARP policy, the coverage is not as good as the coverage that will be available through the prescription drug plan. So that means if you decide to stay in your current policy for now and decide to enroll in a prescription later, you will have to pay your monthly premium and 12 percent more for each year that you chose not to enroll. So if you decide to enroll in 2008, you will have to pay your monthly premium and an additional 24 percent on top of that premium each month. Thus, it makes sense to consider what prescription drug plan options in Florida have inexpensive premiums. These options may replace the drug coverage portion of your AARP policy, or provide coverage in addition to your current AARP policy that does not cover drugs. You may find that the new coverage will provide you with greater value than your current coverage, especially since it includes coverage for catastrophic costs. You will be able to choose prescription drug coverage from plans with premiums of $20 per month or less. Options will also include plans offering zero deductibles or deductibles lower than $250 annually, and plans that provide some coverage in addition to the standard Medicare drug benefit.
Contact the AARP to make sure that you may continue your supplemental coverage (for items and services other than prescription drugs). You may also contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for more information about this or any other Medicare questions you have.
Janice, from Mt. Shasta, Calif.
writes: Leslie Norwalk Sandy, from New Jersey
writes: Leslie Norwalk Joe, from Detroit, MI
writes: Thanks Leslie Norwalk ghl, from texas writes: Leslie Norwalk Julia, from West Virginia
writes: Thank You. Sincerely, Julia Leslie Norwalk azalea, from new orleans, Louisiana
writes: Leslie Norwalk No, I wouldnt be worried. All Medicare Advantage organizations, like Humana HMO, will be offering plans that incorporate the new prescription drug benefit beginning in January. You should receive specific information from Humana in October. Look in your mailbox this October for the 2006 Medicare & You Handbook, which will provide more general information about the Medicare Advantage program and the prescription drug benefit.
Leslie Norwalk This should be good news as Medicare beneficiaries begin to look into all the options they will have available to choose their drug coverage for next year. More information will be coming in October and enrollment begins on November 15. This year, people with Medicare must make a decision about prescription drug coverage. That's because coverage is voluntary. They can choose to enroll or not. But they are going to need to decide about signing up for prescription drug coverage. More specific information is on its way. CMS will mail the Medicare & You handbook to more than 41 million households by mid-October. Around that time, beneficiaries will be able to get personalized information on plans that reflect their own needs and preferences. Thank you for your questions, and remember, you can always call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the information you need about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week. Customer service representatives can answer your questions as well as give you the locations of counselors in your areas that can help you in-person on a one to one basis. We also have lots of information available on our website: www.medicare.gov. |
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