I'm not sure whether the state's new prescription drug program for seniors and people with disabilities, WisconsinCare, is the SeniorCare "wrap around" program everyone's been talking about.
But it looks like a boon to Wisconsin seniors struggling to pay for medications--or to get insurance that does a good job of it! Thanks for Glenna Schumann of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups for passing the information along.
“WisconsinCare will provide seniors and people with disabilities access to life-saving prescription drugs at a price they can afford,” Governor Doyle said. “By filling donut holes, using one-page applications,and providing access to affordable prescription drugs, WisconsinCare will protect our seniors – our greatest generation, who ask very little of their government and deserve so much in return.” Governor's office press release, May 9, 2007.
WisconsinCare will begin January 1, 2008. While rolled out to help seniors who must leave the the state's SeniorCare program, it will also be available to all Wisconsin seniors who are on Medicare but not on Medicaid and whose incomes are less than $24,504 (singles)/ $32,856 married couples.
Also eligible for WisconsinCare are:
• All other Wisconsin residents under the age of 65 who are: 1) enrolled in Medicare; 2) have an income of less than $16,336 ($21,904 for a married couple); and 3) are not getting Medicaid.
More information about specific benefits, signing up, and more in the WisconsinCare Fact Sheet.
According to the press release:
WisconsinCare uses a one-page application form similar to the current SeniorCare application; provides seniors with co-payments as low as $2 a prescription drug without any annual enrollment fee; and, by leveraging more federal dollars, serves more people and provides more benefits at a cost that is equal to what the state invests in SeniorCare and without additional state bureaucracy.
Showing posts with label SeniorCare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SeniorCare. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The latest on SeniorCare
Yesterday (April 25), state Senator Jim Sullivan held a town hall meeting to discuss SeniorCare at the West Milwaukee "Senior Center" at 47th and Greenfield. The room was packed with seniors eager to hear what the panel had to say--and to let panelists know what they thought!
Two of the three state representatives from Sullivan’s Fifth District, David Cullen and Tony Staskunas, were there, along with representatives for Jim Sensenbrenner, Herb Kohl, Russ Feingold, and Jim Doyle. Elder advocates Gail MacInnes from the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups and Matt Hayes from SeniorLaw completed the panel. (Apologies to any panelists I may have missed.)
Advice to seniors
• If you have SeniorCare, hold tight for a few weeks to see what happens. Even if there’s no extension (the worst-case scenario), you’ll have 60 days after the end date, June 30, to choose a new plan.
• At the same time, it would be a good idea to start examining Part D plans now so you have time to process information and choose.
• SeniorLaw advocates are available at no charge to Milwaukee County seniors to help evaluate which of the 50+ Part D plans might work best for them, as everyone’s situation is different. Remember that how well the plan will work for you depends on your other coverage as well, so all of it needs to be considered together.
Other take away points from panelists and audience members
State support for SeniorCare is bipartisan and nearly universal, and everyone has been lobbying hard for its continuation. But the power to extend the program lies with the Bush administration, which does not want the program to go forward for reasons that appear to have more to do with serving pharmaceutical companies than serving seniors.
Senators Feingold and Kohl placed a 2.5 year extension for SeniorCare into an Iraq study bill. President Bush will veto the bill, however. They are exploring other legislation.
While getting the several year extension is unlikely, it’s very likely that SeniorCare will be extended six months to give people time to change and the state time to develop a “wrap-around” program for a smooth transition to Medicare Part D.
Wisconsin elected officials and senior advocacy groups continue to fight for SeniorCare and explore all possible approaches to saving it.
The lack of reimbursement for preventive care is a serious flaw in our healthcare system that creates greater costs during the senior years. Reform of the whole system is imperative.
The governor and others made promises that SeniorCare would continue. They need to honor those promises, whatever it takes to do it.
The federal government has called for state innovations and models as a way of finding out what works and what doesn't. But for that to work, they have to be willing to adopt the best practices, not pass them over for programs that are more expensive and less effective.
Links
Medicare information
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
SeniorLaw
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
Two of the three state representatives from Sullivan’s Fifth District, David Cullen and Tony Staskunas, were there, along with representatives for Jim Sensenbrenner, Herb Kohl, Russ Feingold, and Jim Doyle. Elder advocates Gail MacInnes from the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups and Matt Hayes from SeniorLaw completed the panel. (Apologies to any panelists I may have missed.)
Advice to seniors
• If you have SeniorCare, hold tight for a few weeks to see what happens. Even if there’s no extension (the worst-case scenario), you’ll have 60 days after the end date, June 30, to choose a new plan.
• At the same time, it would be a good idea to start examining Part D plans now so you have time to process information and choose.
• SeniorLaw advocates are available at no charge to Milwaukee County seniors to help evaluate which of the 50+ Part D plans might work best for them, as everyone’s situation is different. Remember that how well the plan will work for you depends on your other coverage as well, so all of it needs to be considered together.
Other take away points from panelists and audience members
State support for SeniorCare is bipartisan and nearly universal, and everyone has been lobbying hard for its continuation. But the power to extend the program lies with the Bush administration, which does not want the program to go forward for reasons that appear to have more to do with serving pharmaceutical companies than serving seniors.
Senators Feingold and Kohl placed a 2.5 year extension for SeniorCare into an Iraq study bill. President Bush will veto the bill, however. They are exploring other legislation.
While getting the several year extension is unlikely, it’s very likely that SeniorCare will be extended six months to give people time to change and the state time to develop a “wrap-around” program for a smooth transition to Medicare Part D.
Wisconsin elected officials and senior advocacy groups continue to fight for SeniorCare and explore all possible approaches to saving it.
The lack of reimbursement for preventive care is a serious flaw in our healthcare system that creates greater costs during the senior years. Reform of the whole system is imperative.
The governor and others made promises that SeniorCare would continue. They need to honor those promises, whatever it takes to do it.
The federal government has called for state innovations and models as a way of finding out what works and what doesn't. But for that to work, they have to be willing to adopt the best practices, not pass them over for programs that are more expensive and less effective.
Links
Medicare information
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
SeniorLaw
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
What to tell seniors about SeniorCare
The denial by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of an extension for SeniorCare is a disappointment, though not a surprise. The feds had made it pretty clear that they weren’t really going to consider extending Wisconsin’s Pharmacy Plus Demonstration for reducing drug costs to seniors.
The state has requested extending the program until the end of the year to allow for a better transition. Likely, that extension will be granted.
Tom Frazier of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) suggests:
As you talk with seniors about the news . . ., please tell them that there is more than enough time to decide what they need to do. CMS has offered to tend the waiver until the end of the year so, until you hear differently, I would assume that this will happen. . .
In addition, several Wisconsin Members of Congress are exploring legislative possibilities for extending SeniorCare, and I am working with the Governor’s office and DHFS on efforts to develop an alternative that I hope will be better than existing Part D plans.
Frazier also urges SeniorCare enrollees to be aware of insurance sales people saying that you will need to enroll in a Part D plan right away. "This is not true and you should remain on the SeniorCare program as long as possible," adds Frazier. "SeniorCare enrollees will hear officially from the Gov. Doyle or the department of Health and Family Services (OHFS) regarding their options."
CWAG offices are a reliable source of information, so check there if you wish to verify any rumors you might hear.
(608) 224-0606
(800) 366-2990
(888) 758-6047 TTY/Texnet
(608) 224-0607 fax
Email: cwag@cwag.org
The state has requested extending the program until the end of the year to allow for a better transition. Likely, that extension will be granted.
Tom Frazier of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) suggests:
As you talk with seniors about the news . . ., please tell them that there is more than enough time to decide what they need to do. CMS has offered to tend the waiver until the end of the year so, until you hear differently, I would assume that this will happen. . .
In addition, several Wisconsin Members of Congress are exploring legislative possibilities for extending SeniorCare, and I am working with the Governor’s office and DHFS on efforts to develop an alternative that I hope will be better than existing Part D plans.
Frazier also urges SeniorCare enrollees to be aware of insurance sales people saying that you will need to enroll in a Part D plan right away. "This is not true and you should remain on the SeniorCare program as long as possible," adds Frazier. "SeniorCare enrollees will hear officially from the Gov. Doyle or the department of Health and Family Services (OHFS) regarding their options."
CWAG offices are a reliable source of information, so check there if you wish to verify any rumors you might hear.
(608) 224-0606
(800) 366-2990
(888) 758-6047 TTY/Texnet
(608) 224-0607 fax
Email: cwag@cwag.org
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