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ENHANCED TOOLS WILL HELP MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN CHOICES FOR 2008
ENHANCED TOOLS WILL HELP MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN CHOICES FOR 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that tomorrow beneficiaries, their caregivers, and family members can begin to review 2008 Medicare prescription drug plan and health plan information online through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov.
“It’s important that we provide current, easily accessible information on Medicare prescription drug plans so beneficiaries can make informed decisions,” said CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems. “The Plan Finder site averages more than 900,000 page views per week, and more than 4.75 million people with Medicare have enrolled in a drug plan since the program began.”
The enhanced plan finder options offer more information and greater clarity on available drug plans, including out-of-pocket costs, pharmacy networks, and important Medicare news and updates. Navigation improvements also make the plan finder tools more user-friendly, so beneficiaries will find it easier to locate information about available drug plans before open enrollment begins on November 15, 2007.
“We want to encourage everyone to use our enhanced tools now and throughout the upcoming open enrollment period to review their current drug plan coverage and compare their options for 2008,” Weems said. “More than 90 percent of beneficiaries in a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan will have access to at least one plan in 2008 with premiums lower than they are paying this year.”
Now is the time for beneficiaries to prepare and compare to find the best plan that meets their needs. Beneficiaries should gather the prescription drugs they are currently taking for reference when using the online tools. Additional useful information may include mailings they have received from Medicare, Social Security, or their current prescription drug plan.
The 2008 Plan Finder allows beneficiaries to compare prescription drug plans, view premiums, formularies, and availability of coverage in the gap. Additionally, the 2008 Medicare Options Compare tool allows beneficiaries to compare Medicare Health Plans (which function like HMOs and PPOs). Enhancements to these tools include:
- Improving the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder and Medicare Options Compare, making them more user-friendly (these enhancements were based on responses from consumer testing);
- Adding an additional link under Medicare Options Compare, allowing beneficiaries to view provider network information;
- Allowing plans to continue accepting 2007 enrollments through November 30th.
- Viewing estimated out-of-pocket costs for 2008 plans without needing to enter specific drug information.
- Adding a new category of benefits under Medicare Options Compare for people with End-Stage Renal Disease.
People without Web access can get the same information provided by the online, personalized plan comparison tools by calling 1-800 MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), by visiting their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) office for free personalized counseling, or by attending one of the thousands of local enrollment events taking place across the country now through December 2007.
CMS has already began visiting communities nationwide as part of the “Working Together for Better Health” Medicare Bus Tour. Medicare representatives are working together with community partners, city and state leaders, and advocates on the ground to educate people with Medicare on the tools and resources available during Open Enrollment and help them choose the Medicare plan that fits their lives. More information is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/openenrollment.asp.
Beneficiaries should also watch for the 2008 “Medicare & You” handbook arriving in mailboxes later this month. The handbook includes tips on selecting a plan and an overview of plan options. Beneficiaries already enrolled in a Part D plan will also receive an Annual Notice of Change that describes any changes in the benefits of their current drug plan.
The actual average premium paid by beneficiaries for Part D coverage in 2008 is expected to be nearly 40 percent lower than originally projected in 2003.
“This year beneficiaries in every state will have access to at least one prescription drug plan with premiums of less than $20 a month, and a choice of at least five plans with premiums of less than $25 a month. The national average monthly premium is expected to average $25, so we want beneficiaries to prepare and compare using the tools available,” said Weems.
CMS has also developed a comprehensive Web site for beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicare’s extra help. This site will help Medicare partners identify and counsel low-income subsidy (LIS) beneficiaries throughout the upcoming open enrollment period, including LIS beneficiaries who may be losing their deemed status, beneficiaries who may be reassigned, and beneficiaries facing other status changes. The site also includes an annual LIS Outreach Toolkit providing LIS data in both interactive maps and sortable spreadsheets.
For more information and to view the plan finder tool please visit:
http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF. The LIS Outreach Toolkit can be accessed at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/limitedincomeandresources/
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