Medicare

"My Health. My Medicare" CMS Tour Comes to NANAY

On November 17, 2006, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) came to the NANAY Community Center in North Miami part of the My Health. My Medicare. initiativeto provide information on available tools and resources to help people with Medicare and disabled beneficiaries review their benefits and current health care needs to make a confident decision during the enrollment season which began in November 15. The event was hosted by NANAY and coordinated by the Organization of Chinese Americans- South Florida Chapter as a service to the Asian Pacific American community in South Florida.

Beginning January 1, 2006, Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage became available to all people with Medicare. More than 38 million seniors and people with disabilities are currently taking advantage of this coverage. Medicare beneficiaries have six weeks to change or add coverage to their current Medicare health and prescription drug plans during the annual Open Enrollment Period, which runs from November 15 through December 31, 2006.

CMS is helping beneficiaries make the most of their Medicare so they can stay healthier and spend less on doctors and hospitals. CMS is providing beneficiaries, their friends and families, with personalized service through local events such as this one, www.medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE. People with Medicare can also sign-up at Mymedicare.gov, a free and secure personalized online service, to access their personal Medicare information, including preventive benefits and services.

In addition, CMS released on the Medicare Prescription Drug Finder an additional tool to assist beneficiaries in comparing plans and choosing one that meets their needs. Plans are rated on how well they perform in the following five different categories:

· Telephone Customer Service – Find out the average time a plan member had to wait before speaking with a customer service representative.

· Complaints - Find out the number of complaints the plan had received from members about access to drugs, joining and leaving the plan, and drug costs.

· Appeals – Find out how well the plan responded to appeals within the required timeframes. This category also shows how often an independent review entity agreed with the plan’s decision.

· Information Sharing with Pharmacists – Find out how well the plan sent important information about member’s plan enrollment to pharmacists.

· Drug Pricing – Find out how well the plan provided drug pricing updates on Medicare Prescription Drug Finder, and the percent of drugs with price increases.

“Now is the time for Medicare beneficiaries to carefully review their current plan to see how changes may affect their costs and coverage in 2007, and then compare their plan to other options available to them,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. “If they are satisfied their plan will meet their needs next year, they do not need to take any action to keep their coverage.”

On November 17, 2006, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) came to the NANAY Community Center in North Miami as part of its "My Health. My Medicare" initiativeto provide information on available tools and resources to help people with Medicare and disabled beneficiaries review their benefits and current health care needs to make a confident decision during the enrollment season which began in November 15. The event was hosted by NANAY and coordinated by the Organization of Chinese Americans- South Florida Chapter as a service to the Asian Pacific American community in South Florida.

· Telephone Customer Service – Find out the average time a plan member had to wait before speaking with a customer service representative.

· Complaints - Find out the number of complaints the plan had received from members about access to drugs, joining and leaving the plan, and drug costs.

· Appeals – Find out how well the plan responded to appeals within the required timeframes. This category also shows how often an independent review entity agreed with the plan’s decision.

· Information Sharing with Pharmacists – Find out how well the plan sent important information about member’s plan enrollment to pharmacists.

· Drug Pricing – Find out how well the plan provided drug pricing updates on Medicare Prescription Drug Finder, and the percent of drugs with price increases.

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