Houston, TX – As American families prepare for another school year, seniors find themselves faced with a fast approaching enrollment window to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug program that begins on January 1st. This past weekend Congressman Al Green held a town hall meeting, which included a panel of health care experts, to provide Houston area affected seniors with valuable information regarding the new drug benefit.

Green acknowledged the complexities of the new plan and added, “Many of our seniors find the new drug plan to be overwhelming, and for that reason, I believe it is crucial that we educate seniors about the benefits available to them.  Through this town hall we aimed to provide seniors with the tools to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of their health care needs.”

The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, which was passed by Congress in 2003, establishes a new voluntary prescription drug benefit under a new Part D category. Many health care professionals have expressed concern that a significant number of the nation’s 43 million Medicare beneficiaries are uninformed about the benefit and fear that seniors will fail to enroll in sufficient numbers. Green’s town hall meeting, The ABC’s of Medicare Part D: Exploring the New Rx Drug Benefit, provided participants with the opportunity to consult with representatives from the AARP, Social Security Administration (SSA), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Area Agency on Aging and METRO to learn more about the specifics of the plan.

For decades Medicaid has covered drug costs for persons eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Beginning January 1st Medicare will assume that responsibility from Medicaid. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to purchase drug coverage through private plans offered by prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors or managed care organizations. Those persons who are unable to afford the additional cost associated with the new drug benefit will be able to apply for “extra help” through the SSA. According to SSA, qualified participants in the “extra help” program may receive as much assistance as those seniors who are both qualified to receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

Although Green’s town hall meeting primarily focused on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, participating panelists provided seniors with pamphlets and information regarding other available resources, such as the METRO Senior ID cards and services through the Area Agency on Aging. Many of the seniors who attended the meeting remarked on the usefulness of the information provided and applauded Congressman Green’s efforts.

“This town hall meeting provided those who otherwise may not have been aware of the new changes, and likely would have missed the enrollment deadline, with a forum to have their concerns addressed and questions answered. It is not enough to simply provide the benefit, we have to do more to educate and effectively reach out to our seniors,” said Green.

Green plans to host an additional informational meeting to ensure that area seniors are fully informed of their coverage options.  The enrollment period for the new prescription drug benefit begins on November 15th. Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to contact 1-800-MEDICARE for additional assistance and information.

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