Medicare Watch

Thousands To Receive Coverage Gap Rebate in June

As required by the new health care reform law, on June 15, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin sending $250 rebate checks to Medicare consumers who have entered the Part D prescription drug coverage gap this year. HHS will continue to mail checks approximately every six weeks, said Department Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a letter to congressional leaders. 

An estimated four million Medicare consumers will receive a check in 2010, and about 80,000 individuals will receive their checks in June. People who qualify for the rebate will receive the check automatically and will not need to fill out any forms.

Secretary Sebelius’s letter also addressed other provisions of health care reform that go into effect in 2010. These include the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, which will reimburse participating employment-based plans for part of the costs of providing health coverage to retirees from age 55 to 64. 

Read the letter from Secretary Sebelius.

Medicare Rights Celebrates Volunteerism and Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme is “Age Strong! Live Long!” Volunteerism is proven to help older adults stay physically and mentally healthier, according to an Urban Institute report. The Medicare Rights Center supports civic engagement among Medicare consumers through its volunteer programs. Volunteers make up over 83 percent of Medicare Rights’s workforce, and many of them have Medicare or will soon qualify for Medicare. These volunteers are in an ideal position to counsel others on how to navigate the program. 

Specifically, older Americans volunteering with Medicare Rights Center’s Seniors Out Speaking on Medicare (SOS Medicare) program educate peers in their communities about Medicare benefits, rights and options through short presentations at civic centers, religious institutions, housing complexes and clubs.

Read more about volunteer opportunities at Medicare Rights.

Read President Obama’s Proclamation declaring May 2010 Older Americans Month.

Dear Marci

I have a Part D plan and am having trouble paying for my drugs. I do not qualify for Extra Help. Are there any other programs I should consider?

— Jordan (Lake Worth, TX)

Dear Jordan,

There are many programs you might want to consider looking into to help pay the costs of your drugs. Two of the programs you might consider are:

1. State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs)
2. Patient Assistance Programs

Visit www.medicareinteractive.org to learn more.

The excerpt above is adapted from Dear Marci, our weekly newsletter for consumers. Sign up for Dear Marci.

 

Spotlight

A new resource, Health Reform GPS, is tracking the implementation of health reform. Created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program of George Washington University, the GPS includes a section devoted to Medicare and will be updated throughout the implementation process.

Use the GPS.