The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Network- Serving Kentuckiana.
Message From the President
Dear Members & Friends-
At press time we have not received information regarding out speaker for the March meeting. We will likely have a speaker, but if not, a video will be shown. Food and drink will be provided at the meeting. April's meeting will be held at Frazier Rehab; 6:30; 4th floor dining hall.
- David Allgood
The following is from AAPD News, Summer 2004—ed
What You Need to Know About the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card Program By Ernest Haskell
The enactment of the Medicare Modernization Act is an important step toward increasing the quality of healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries. The law creates a significant benefit for many patients who need help to secure access to life-saving and life-improving medicines. That is particularly true for the most vulnerable of Medicare beneficiaries—those with limited incomes.
The most talked about part of Medicare reform has been the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card Program. This new program officially launched on June 1, but millions of eligible Medicare beneficiaries, including people with disabilities, may be missing out on significant prescription drug savings.
Far too often, discussion of the new Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card have focused on seniors and neglect to mention that Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities can also take advantage of the program.
While there has been some confusion about the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount program, people with disabilities need to know about the significant savings that many pharmaceutical companies are offering to those most in need through these discount cards. For millions of people with Medicare coverage, not signing up for a card means leaving money on the table.
The good news is that enrolling in the Medicare drug discount program, while confusing, can be easy once one selects the right program for their needs. Beneficiaries only need three pieces of information to find the right card for them. You need to know your zip code, know your drugs and dosages, and know your income if you are interested in transitional assistance and the added savings provided by some pharmaceutical companies.
The new program also gives Medicare beneficiaries the flexibility and the options they need to decide the best approach to their healthcare needs. For the first time, they have the opportunity to make a choice that will help reduce their drug costs and provide more coverage.
By enrolling in the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card program, Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities can save 10-20 percent on prescription drug purchases. One of the intents of the program was to make sure that those in the greatest need received the largest benefit. Under the new program, people with Medicare under certain income limits without drug coverage may be eligible for $600 in drug benefits (those that earn less than 135 percent Federal Poverty Line—$12,569 for a single and $16,862 for a married couple), no premiums or deductibles, and co-payments as low as $1 (those that earn less than the 100 percent Federal Poverty Line).
For example, one of the cards that provides significant savings is the U-Share card, a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card sponsored and managed by the United Health Group. Through the U Share Card, Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies will provide even greater savings
