December io, 2003____________________________________
®Jje JJortlanh (Observer___________________
Page A3
W h a t th e n ew p r e s c r ip tio n d ru g b e n e fit w ill d o f o r y o u .
N o s o u n d b ite s. N o s p in . N o p o litic s . J u s t th e facts.
C ongress has ju s t voted to add a p rescrip tio n d ru g benefit to M edicare. W hile the benefit
isn’t perfect, it’s an im p o rta n t step forward that we can b u ild o n in the fu tu re. H ere are
som e im p o rtan t ways that o ld er A m ericans an d th eir families will be helped by this benefit:
1. I t p r o t e c t s t r a d i t i o n a l M e d ic a r e :
$ 3 ,6 0 0 o u t- o f - p o c k e t lim it, th e
N o th in g in th e le g isla tio n u n d e r
fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t w ill pay fo r 95%
m in e s tr a d itio n a l f e e -fo r-s e rv ic e
o f p r e s c r ip tio n d ru g costs.
M ed ic are. A n d an y o n e can stay in
it if th ey c h o o se.
6 . It p r o t e c t s r e t ir e e c o v e r a g e :
T h e le g isla tio n p ro v id es fin a n c ia l
2. A ll M e d ic a r e b e n e f i c i a r i e s w ill
in c e n tiv e s fo r em p lo y ers (b o th
h a v e a c c e s s to d r u g c o v e r a g e :
p u b lic a n d p riv ate ) so th a t p e o p le
T h is is a g u a ra n te e d d ru g p la n
who already have good private coverage
fo r all b e n e fic ia rie s , reg ard le ss
will n o t lose it.
o f w here th ey live.
7- I t p r o v id e s n e w p r e v e n tiv e
3- T h i s n e w d r u g b e n e f i t is
s e r v ic e s :
v o lu n ta r y :
T h e le g isla tio n p ro v id e s fo r
P eo p le can elect to keep any
new c o o r d in a te d c h r o n ic d isease
ex istin g coverage th ey have, an d
m a n a g e m e n t, p rev en tiv e s c re e n in g
n o o n e w ill be fo rc e d to e n r o ll
fo r h ea rt disease and an in tro d u c to ry
in th e new p ro g ra m .
physical exam .
4- I t h e lp s t h o s e w h o n e e d i t m o s t:
8 . D i s c o u n t card :
T h e new b e n e fit p ro v id e s fo r
B eneficiaries can choose a M edicare
c o m p re h e n siv e d ru g coverage fo r
d isc o u n t card that will provide som e
p e o p le w ith low in c o m e s, at
im m ediate help with d ru g costs.
m in im a l cost to th e m .
In a d d itio n , m an y low -in co m e
b eneficiaries will receive a $ 6 0 0
5- I t p r o t e c t s t h o s e w ith th e h ig h e s t
subsidy o n th e ir card.
d r u g c o s ts :
A fte r a b e n e fic ia ry reach es th e
A n d we p ro m is e to k eep fig h tin g to m ake y o u r p re s c rip tio n d ru g s m o re a ffo rd a b le .
A4RP
The power to make It better/
www.aarp.org
4