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Casework Corner - Protecting Medicare Enrollment Choice
09/18/07By Chad Manspeaker
District Representative
As a district representative in Congresswoman Boyda's Topeka office, I often hear complaints from Kansas seniors that Medicare and its many health care plans can be confusing. These programs, their enrollment procedures, and the many choices to make can certainly be difficult to navigate, and one goal of our constituent service office is to assist anyone who is having problems with Medicare.
Recently we heard from Ms. Maureen Price of Topeka, who was mistakenly enrolled in a Part D supplement for her prescription drug benefit. For a number of months, the program's premiums were withheld from Ms. Price's Social Security check, and all of her attempts to fix the problem met with failure and frustration.
In early July, Ms. Price contacted Congresswoman Boyda’s office to see if we could help find a solution. Our office is well-equipped to assist constituents who experience problems such as this. We asked Medicare to look into the matter, and they discovered that in fact Ms. Price was enrolled in a program that she had not chosen. The problem was immediately fixed, and Ms. Price will receive a refund from Medicare for her premiums.
Unfortunately, Ms. Price's story is not unique. Medicare has heard from numerous individuals who were enrolled in a Part D supplement without their consent or who have not received the plan they thought that they had signed up for. Medicare has remedied this problem by requiring specialized training for the sales teams of Part D providers and by instituting a thorough review of all Part D plan marketing materials. If you feel that you have fallen victim to this problem despite the new oversight measures, please contact our office, and we would be more than happy to assist you.
District Representative
As a district representative in Congresswoman Boyda's Topeka office, I often hear complaints from Kansas seniors that Medicare and its many health care plans can be confusing. These programs, their enrollment procedures, and the many choices to make can certainly be difficult to navigate, and one goal of our constituent service office is to assist anyone who is having problems with Medicare.
Recently we heard from Ms. Maureen Price of Topeka, who was mistakenly enrolled in a Part D supplement for her prescription drug benefit. For a number of months, the program's premiums were withheld from Ms. Price's Social Security check, and all of her attempts to fix the problem met with failure and frustration.
In early July, Ms. Price contacted Congresswoman Boyda’s office to see if we could help find a solution. Our office is well-equipped to assist constituents who experience problems such as this. We asked Medicare to look into the matter, and they discovered that in fact Ms. Price was enrolled in a program that she had not chosen. The problem was immediately fixed, and Ms. Price will receive a refund from Medicare for her premiums.
Unfortunately, Ms. Price's story is not unique. Medicare has heard from numerous individuals who were enrolled in a Part D supplement without their consent or who have not received the plan they thought that they had signed up for. Medicare has remedied this problem by requiring specialized training for the sales teams of Part D providers and by instituting a thorough review of all Part D plan marketing materials. If you feel that you have fallen victim to this problem despite the new oversight measures, please contact our office, and we would be more than happy to assist you.