By State Senator Cathy Cook

At long last, Medicare will now begin to cover prescription drugs for America’s seniors.  Putting aside all the political hype about the pros and cons of the new Medicare Part D plan, I hope you share my thoughts that this is a good beginning, which will be improved over time.  I know it is somewhat confusing, but Connecticut is doing its part to make the process as simple as possible, particularly for those who need this program the most. 

The first thing senior citizens should know is that enrollment for this program, known as Medicare RX or Medicare Part D, began this week on November 15th. Everyone who has Medicare Part A or Part B is eligible.  If you are already enrolled in our ConnPACE program, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part D.  You can also choose a different pharmacy benefit program from the list of companies if you do not want the state to choose one for you.  The legislature is currently addressing possible legislation to make certain that no one on ConnPACE will pay any more than the $16.25 per prescription that you are currently paying. Our amended legislation will go into effect before the January 1st start of Medicare Part D. 

If you are not on ConnPACE, you may still want to enroll in Medicare Part D if you have no other prescription drug coverage, or if your current plan offers only minimal coverage.   The state Department of Social Services is making available a great deal of information regarding Medicare RX.  If you have access to the Internet, you may be able to get answers to many of your questions by visiting its website at www.ct.gov/dss. Another excellent resource is a program known as CHOICES (Connecticut Health Insurance Assistance, Outreach, Information and Referral, Counseling and Eligibility Screening), which you can call toll free at 1-800-994-9422. Also, information about CHOICES and other services is available at the Connecticut Association of Area Agencies on Aging website at www.ctagenciesonaging.org.  Your local senior citizens center can help you find out the counselor to speak with for your personal situation.

You may have received a handbook from Medicare entitled “Medicare and You 2006” which, among other information, includes the names of the prescription drug plans in your area, and how to go about selecting and enrolling in one. Further information is available at www.medicare.gov. Also, The Center for Medicare Advocacy in Windham offers a website at www.medicareadvocacy.org.

I strongly urge senior citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to save money on your prescriptions. I urge you to contact CHOICES, which is staffed with trained counselors who can answer your questions and help you to compare prescription plans and enroll in the one that best meets your needs. Meanwhile, CHOICES suggests that, at the very least, you ask yourself these questions when considering which plan to select:

• Are the drugs you take now covered by the plan?
• Do you live in the plan’s service delivery area?
• Is the plan accepted at the pharmacy you use?
• What are the costs?

As always, I am happy to answer your questions and respond to your concerns about this and other issues important to our state. I can be reached at the Capitol at 1-800-842-1421 or you can send me an e-mail at Catherine.Cook@cga.ct.gov.