What's Happening with the New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit?

Updates

• Focus on Epilepsy: Medicare, Fall 2006, Volume 1
  

  Open enrollment for the Medicare Drug Benefit began on November 15 and will end on December 31, 2006. This is the time for beneficiaries to analyze their current plan carefully to see if the coverage has changed for their medications. You may decide to keep your current plan or change to a different plan. This is the only time during the year when most beneficiaries - except "dual eligibles" - can change plans. The Focus on Epilepsy: Medicare fact sheet (PDF) gives tips on open enrollment, the low-income subsidy, evaluating plans, and other resource links. Posted: November 28, 2006

• CMS Extends Medicare Part D Election Period for Certain Groups
  

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a demonstration program allowing certain Medicare beneficiaries - seniors, eligible people with disabilities and people who live in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina - to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan with no penalty through December 31, 2006. Posted: June 23, 2006

• Update 12: Focus on Epilepsy: Medicare, Spring 2006, Volume 1
  

  The Spring edition, the first following the prescription drug coverage implementation, covers MapRx, a source for answers; FAQ about pharmacy visits, troubleshooting guides and resources for those experiencing difficulty, low income assistance, and a neurologist's perspective on maximizing utilization of coverage.Posted: April 18, 2006
  

• Update 11: Newsletter a Tool to Explain New Medicare Drug Benefit
  

  Focus on Epilepsy: Medicare, developed by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics with the Epilepsy Foundation, is a newsletter about the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. This newsletter is intended as a tool for individuals, families and caregivers who are in need of information about the new drug benefit. Posted: February 2, 2006
  
  Español: Medicare: Enfoque en Epilepsia es un recurso para ayudarle a mantenerse actualizado en cómo la nueva cobertura de Medicare para recetas médicas afectará el tratamiento para la epilepsia.
  
  

  • Focus on Epilepsy: Medicare (PDF - English)
  • Medicare: Enfoque en Epilepsia (PDF - Español)
  
  
• Update 10: What Does It Mean for People with Seizures?
  

  Access to all the medications the doctor has prescribed is a critical issue for people who have seizures. There are more than twenty different kinds of seizure medications.
  Posted: December 14, 2005

• Update 9: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Finder Tool Now Available
  

  On October 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new beneficiary tool called the Prescription Drug Plan Finder. The tool will ask questions based on the coverage beneficiaries have now to provide them with tailored plan comparison information based on what is most important to them, including cost, coverage and convenience. Beneficiaries can also get personalized information on particular plans that they think may be a good fit for them.
  Posted: October 21, 2005

• Update 8: CMS Updates Rollout Calendar, Announces Plan Names
  

  On Friday, September 23, 2005, CMS issued a press release regarding the approval of prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, although they have not released final details about the drugs that the plans will cover. This announcement included a revised calendar.
  Posted: September 26, 2005

• Update 7: Medicare Drug Benefit Premiums Will Be Lower Than Expected
  

  Beneficiaries can sign up for the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit beginning November 15, 2005. With robust competition among drug plans, prescription drug plans will offer coverage at a lower cost than independent experts had projected.
  Posted: August 30, 2005

• Update 6: New Web Service Available for Consumers to Evaluate Programs
  

  BenefitsCheckUpRX is a new web-based service that will help Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers/advocates learn about and enroll in government benefits, including the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
  Posted: July 21, 2005

• Update 5: CMS Issues Positive Directive to Cover Anti-Epileptic Drugs
  

  CMS has released encouraging news regarding the coverage of drugs in six classes (including anti-epileptic drugs) under the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit which begins January 1, 2006.
  Posted: July 20, 2005

• Update 4: President Bush takes the stage for Medicare Education
  

  On June 17, 2005, the Administration released several announcements and a videocast on Medicare. We passed it along for your information and assistance in answering inquiries about the new benefit.
  Posted: July 5, 2005
  

• Update 3: Understanding the Low Income Subsidy
  

  The Social Security Administration (SSA) will be sending application forms in English and in Spanish to millions of people with limited incomes who may be eligible for extra help in paying for their prescription drug benefits under the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
  Posted: June 22, 2005

• Update 2: Training Available Online
  

  On May 19, 2005, a one hour Internet training entitled The New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: A Free Training for Community-Based Organizations was broadcast for live, interactive viewing.
  Posted: June 9, 2005

• Update 1: Calendar for Medicare Part D Rollout
  

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided a chart that gives a brief overview on how the new prescription drug plans will work.
  Posted: June 2, 2005