Berg Medicare meeting draws big crowd
by Sara Watson Arthurs, 12/07/2005
EUREKA -- The crowd was overflowing at Assemblywoman Patty Berg's meeting on Medicare Tuesday.
Around 200 people filled one room at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center and spilled out into the hallways around it. Interest was large enough that Berg and Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program Manager Anne Antoville agreed to repeat the meeting later that afternoon.
Berg previously held town hall meetings in Lake and Sonoma counties. She said her office sent a mailing to all seniors in the area about the meeting.
”I felt very responsible, as the chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-term Care, to be able to help spread the word about Medicare Part D and to basically allay fears people have about this,” Berg said.
Antoville outlined the options available. People who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal insurance will see a change after Jan. 1, when Medi-Cal will no longer cover their prescription drugs. They'll be automatically enrolled in some sort of Medicare prescription drug plan, but will need to check that plan to be sure it covers the drugs they take, Antoville said.
Seniors with Medicare who do not also have Medi-Cal have until May 15 to sign up without penalty. Those who already receive prescription drug coverage through another agency -- say, a former employer -- should do their research before dropping it, Antoville said. Once you give up this insurance in order to sign up for Medicare prescription drug coverage, you won't be able to get the previous insurance back if you change your mind, she said.
She said there are 48 plans available in the county, with premiums ranging from $5 to $65 a month. Deductibles and formularies -- the lists of drugs covered -- vary.
Antoville added that the drug companies can change their formularies with a 60-day notice. People with Medicare insurance can change their policies once a year. A senior taking a medication not on the approved list can get an exception with a letter from his or her health care provider.
Berg said she wanted to encourage constituents not to rush, “assuring them that they're not alone in this, that there is help.”
More information is available by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or visiting http://www.medicare.gov. Antoville recommended having the list of medications you take available when you call.
The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, a program of the Area 1 Agency on Aging, offers one-on-one assistance, although Antoville said there is currently such demand that there may be a wait. Call 443-9747 to set up an appointment.
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