Delahunt Presses For Aid To States On Medicare Crisis

01/18/2006

WASHINGTON, DC - In the wake of this month's chaos surrounding the implementation of the new Medicare Prescription Drug benefit, Congressman Bill Delahunt today announced his support for legislation that will reimburse Massachusetts, and other states, for the costs of life-saving medications for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

"Its bad enough that people with chronic ailments and disabilities are being turned away at the pharmacy counter because of a computer glitch," Delahunt said. "Medicare is now turning away states that have stepped up to the plate to cover the costs of prescription drugs for low-income beneficiaries."

Rep. Delahunt has joined in cosponsoring the Medicare Emergency Drug Intervention Compensation Act. The bill will reimburse states for the unexpected payments they are making for low-income beneficiaries' prescriptions during chaotic Part D implementation.

The overall confusion surrounding the Medicare benefit has prompted several states to declare â??health care emergencies.  In Massachusetts, officials have promised beneficiaries that they will have their drug costs covered while the federal government works out the kinks in the program. Today the Bush Administration announced that Medicare lacks the statutory authority to reimburse the Commonwealth directly for this help.  The solution advocated by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency that administers those programs, is for states like Massachusetts to seek repayment from insurance companies.

Nationwide, nearly 1.2 million people, including many in Southeastern Massachusetts, have been turned away from their local pharmacies after attempting to purchase medication under the new plan. Beneficiaries then face the choice of having to pay excessive insurance co-payments or deductible requirements. In some cases, seniors are resorting to visits to hospital emergency rooms to get the drugs they need, or worse - not filling their prescriptions.

"It didn't have to be this way," said Delahunt, who voted against the Medicare bill because it favored the interests of HMO's and pharmaceutical companies, not the consumer.  An ongoing concern of Delahunt's is that Medicare can not leverage the power of its 40 million beneficiaries to negotiate a uniform, predictable system of drug discounts nationally.  The law included a provision which explicitly forbids Medicare from doing so, even though the Veterans Administration, for example, uses precisely this method to hold down its drug costs.

Protecting Peace of Mind

Since enactment of this new benefit, Delahunt has taken a number of steps to address many of the complaints about the program. Last November, Mr. Delahunt joined with 131 of his House colleagues in sponsoring, the Medicare Informed Choice Act -- legislation that would expand the enrollment period for all of 2006 and eliminate any late penalties; permit beneficiaries to make a one-time change in coverage; and, protect retirees from being dropped by their former employer's health plan during the first year of Part D's implementation.

"Six months is not adequate time to reach and counsel 42 million beneficiaries, and give them the peace of mind they deserve when it comes to making critical health care decisions," Delahunt said. "Everyone deserves the chance to get a second opinion."

In the meantime, Delahunt will continue to sponsor a series of forums throughout the South Shore and Cape and Islands to help unravel Medicare Part D confusion. The next seminar is scheduled for Monday, January 23 in Sandwich from 10 am to Noon at the Council on Aging building located at 270 Quaker Meetinghouse Road. Those interested in attending should contact the Council at 508-888-4737
 

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