CMS Launching Web Tools for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
CMS in October will launch three new Web-based tools designed to help Medicare beneficiaries choose a prescription drug plan, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said Tuesday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Speaking during a conference call Tuesday with individuals who will advise Medicare beneficiaries about the new prescription drug benefit, Leavitt noted that enrollment in the new benefit begins November 15, adding, "we've got to continue to educate people."
Leavitt said that beginning on Oct. 13, beneficiaries will be able to access three new tools on a separate partners section of the Medicare Web site that will help them choose a plan and eventually enroll in the new benefit. One tool is designed to assist beneficiaries with no existing drug coverage by allowing them to enter their monthly drug costs and see how much money they could save under the new benefit.
Another tool will assist those who already know which drug plan they want in completing the enrollment process. In addition, the tool can help those who do not know which plan they want by providing customized plan options and alerting beneficiaries whether they already are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or Medicaid plan or have employer-sponsored coverage.
The third tool, the Medicare Personal Plan Finder, will help beneficiaries compare benefits and costs related to Medicare Advantage plans, traditional, fee-for-service Medicare and Medigap plans. Leavitt also said that HHS is expanding training for those who will help counsel Medicare beneficiaries about their options through the Web and satellite broadcasts. In addition, Parade magazine this weekend will include an insert to help beneficiaries begin to compare options (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 9/20).
In related news, a new study has found that many low-income and minority Medicare beneficiaries use Medicare Advantage plans "because they are more affordable and include benefits not found in Medicare's traditional, fee-for-service program," CQ HealthBeat reports. The study, released on Tuesday, was conducted for the BlueCross BlueShield Association by Kenneth Thorpe, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Emory University School of Public Health, and colleagues. According to the report, 40% of African-American and 53% of Hispanic beneficiaries who do not have Medicaid or employer-sponsored health insurance are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, compared with 33% of non-Hispanic white beneficiaries. In addition, 36% of Medicare beneficiaries with annual incomes lower than $10,000 and 38% of those with incomes between $10,000 and $20,000 without Medicaid or employer-sponsored coverage enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.
Thorpe said, "Because [Medicare Advantage] programs are often affordable and include benefits not found in traditional Medicare, many with lower incomes depend on it." In 2005, Medicare Advantage plans will provide $3 billion in supplemental benefits at no extra cost to the beneficiary, or $615 per beneficiary after premiums. The report also found that Medicare Advantage plans reduce Medicaid costs when dual eligibles enroll in Medicare Advantage (CQ HealthBeat, 9/20). The study is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the study.
Additional information on the Medicare drug benefit is available online.