« National Council on Disability Calls for Changes in Federal Approach to Disability Policy | Main | Emergency Management and People with Disabilities: Before, During and After »
November 20, 2005
Consumer Guide Available to Assist People with Disabilities in Navigating Medicare Part D Drug Coverage
November 18, 2005
Understanding Changes in Prescription Drug Coverage for People with Disabilities on Medicare (Prepared by Jeffrey S. Crowley, Health Policy Institute, Georgetown University, with Bob Williams, Advancing Independence)
Washington, DC - Advancing Independence, a disability-focused policy organization, released today a new guide, Understanding Changes in Prescription Drug Coverage for People with Disabilities on Medicare: A Guide for People with Disabilities, Benefits Counselors, Disability Organizations and Others On Transitioning to the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit. While many organizations are developing helpful materials to assist Medicare beneficiaries through this transition, this guide was written specifically to address special concerns of people with disabilities. The guide was written in a question and answer format and includes worksheets that individuals can use in consulting their physicians about current pharmaceutical use and in comparing and selecting a plan that meets their needs.
Medicare plays a critical role in enhancing the health and independence of nearly 15 million people with disabilities of all ages most of whom rely extensively on prescription medications. It is essential that they be able to make the best use of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, said Bob Williams, Principal of Advancing Independence and a co-author of the report.
Given all of the recent media coverage of fear and confusion on the part of Medicare beneficiaries trying to make sense of the complex details of this program and the extraordinary number of plan choices, we hope that this guide can be a useful tool for people with disabilities, their family members, and others who will assist them in enrolling in a Medicare drug plan, added Jeffrey Crowley, Senior Research Scholar at the Georgetown Health Policy Institute and a co-author of the report.
The report was a collaborative effort between Advancing Independence and the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University. Free copies of the guide can be obtained in PDF and HTML formats at http://hpi.georgetown.edu/rxchanges.html. Financial support for the guide was provided to Advancing Independence by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
Posted by Karen Thomas at November 20, 2005 06:03 PM