Medicare prescription drug coverage available

To the Editor:

Some 8,719 people in Worcester County could be eligible for help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage but have yet to apply for the program that provides it.

The Low-Income Subsidy, worth an average of $3,700 a year for participants, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, pays for all or part of the monthly premiums and annual deductibles, fills in the coverage gap, and lowers the prescription co-payments. People who qualify can join a Medicare drug plan immediately and pay very little out of pocket for their medications.

These Worcester County residents are part of an estimated 72,677 Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts (and 3.3 million beneficiaries nationwide) who also potentially qualify for the subsidy but have yet to apply, according to rough estimates by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Unfortunately, people who potentially qualify for programs like these are often challenging to reach. Only about a third of those who qualify for government assistance programs ever sign up for them.

According to the Medicare Rx Access Network of Massachusetts, access to medications is critical to health, so there is a special urgency to reach as many people who qualify for this prescription-drug subsidy as possible and encourage them to apply.

To qualify, a person must be on Medicare and have an annual income below $14,700 and assets limited to $11,500 (not including the house or car) or $19,800 in income and $23,000 in assets for a couple. Those who qualify can immediately join a Medicare drug plan for coverage in 2006, with no penalty or waiting period. There is no cost or obligation to apply, so anyone who thinks they may be eligible should fill out an application as soon as possible. Worcester County residents can apply at their local Social Security office, over the phone by calling Social Security at (800) 772-1213, and online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Assistance is also available by calling Massachusetts SHIP at (800) 243-4636 or (800) MEDICARE (800) 633-4227; TTY users should call (877) 486-2048).

Ruth Blackman, Director of Elder Affairs,

ABCD),