Under the new law, Medicare prescription drug benefits will not begin until January 2006. However, until this benefit begins, Medicare beneficiaries can sign-up for a Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount card. 

Many of you have contacted my office to ask questions about how this discount card works. Therefore, I’d like to use this opportunity to try to answer some of your questions about the new Medicare benefit.

First of all, there will be at least 16 cards available from which Arkansas’s Medicare beneficiaries can choose. To find out how you can sign-up for the discount card, you may contact Medicare’s information center, either via the Internet or by calling them. 

Before you contact Medicare, I encourage you to have the following information handy. You should have a list of all the prescription drugs you take, including the dosages. You should also know your monthly income, and if you’re married, know the combination of your retirement benefits, Social Security, and income from the federal government and other sources. With this information, Medicare specialists will be able to give you a better assessment as to which discount card will work best for you.

The cost of the discount cards cannot exceed $30 annually. You will also be eligible for a $600 annual credit on drug purchases if you meet certain eligibility criteria such as income and other medical needs. 

It is important to note that Medicare-endorsed card sponsors will advertise their cards on television, radio, newspapers and direct mail.  If you received ANY cold calls from individuals encouraging you to sign up for a particular drug card, be cautious. These may be fraudulent calls. 

Because each card’s benefits and savings levels are different, it is important for you to carefully review the information you receive about the cards. 

Medicare’s information hotline 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and their website is www.medicare.gov. 

There is no question the process for obtaining this new discount card will be complicated and confusing. My office is here to help you make sense of the maze of information.  If I may be of service to you on this or any other matter, please let me know.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of soldiers from Arkansas’s 39th Brigade, who died while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. These brave Americans lost their lives while making the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country, and I will be forever grateful to them for their courageous spirit. 

"Members from the 39th Brigade who were killed from Arkansas were: Capt. Arthur L. Felder, of Lewisville; Chief Warrant Patrick W. Kordsmeier, of North Little Rock;  Staff Sgt. Billy J. Orton, of Humnoke;  and Staff Sgt. Stacey C. Brandon, of Hazen. 

“Losing a soldier from home is especially difficult, and my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these brave soldiers, as they mourn the loss of these extraordinary American heroes."

“Our troops should be taken care of when they are serving our country overseas, and they should also be taken care of when we bring them home,” said Ross. “But today, thousands of military spouses are currently paying the Survivor Benefit Penalty. We must put an end to this tax that will eventually impact 1.2 million military retirees enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan.” 

The Survivor Benefit Penalty penalizes over 225,000 aging survivors, most of whom are widows of our country’s veterans. Over one million military retirees pay premiums for years and anticipate upon their death, their spouse will receive 55 percent of their benefit. But when their spouse reaches the age of 62, the benefit drops to a mere 35 percent – forcing these widows to give up more than one-third of their retirement benefit when they are eligible for Social Security benefits. This reduction takes place even if the amount of their new Social Security benefit and the reduced military retirement benefit combined is less than the total survivor benefit they were promised. 

A bipartisan bill to end the Survivor Benefit Penalty – the Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 (HR 548) – was introduced over a year ago. But so far, the bill has not received the support it needs to bring it to the floor for a vote. If 218 Members sign the discharge petition, the House will be forced to vote on the bill. 

“Working to end the Survivors Benefit Tax is another example of my commitment to fighting for our veterans and their families,” said Ross. “It is simply not right to penalize these men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country.”