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July 11, 2008 ... On Friday, July 11, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, toured the Worcester & Norfolk District to discuss the advantages of the Medicare Savings Program. Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Boston Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Kathy Campbell, Outreach Coordinator for Prescription Advantage, and Mary Sullivan, RPh, Director at MassMedLine, joined Sen. Moore in his media tour.

“I am happy to have accompanied Dr. Yeh, Kathy Campbell, and Mary Sullivan to discuss the Medicare Savings Program in our communities,” said Sen. Moore. “Citizens in the district should be informed of the rewards of this program, as surely, it can help many. It is important for people to be aware of the services that are provided to them in the realm of health care.”

“We thank Senator Moore for his invaluable assistance in helping us reach Medicare beneficiaries who may be eligible for these extra savings on their prescription drug costs,” said Dr. Yeh. “We want to insure that seniors can afford to take the medications they need to stay healthy, particularly at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet because of high food and fuel costs.” 

Medicare is currently paying 75% or more of prescription drug costs for people with limited incomes and resources. With the Medicare Savings Program, qualifying individuals would have Medicare pay drug costs, like monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription copayments. 

To qualify, individuals who make less than $15,600 and married couples who make less than $21,000 may receive the benefits of the Advantage program. In addition, these individuals should have resources less than $11,990 and these married couples should have resources less than $23,970 to qualify. Resources include items like bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but not an individual’s automobile or house.

Prescription Advantage and MassMedLine, the state programs that Campbell and Sullivan represent, are also trying to publicize the advantages of the Medicare Savings Program, as it serves as a valuable compliment to the state services they provide. Prescription Advantage targets elderly citizens over 65 and younger disabled citizens in helping to secure prescriptions for those that are both eligible and ineligible for Medicare. MassMedLine, under the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, operates a free, confidential service available to all Massachusetts residents where patients can receive general information about their medications and side effects, in addition to personal assistance with accessing affordable prescription drug programs. 

The town of Milford has 148 potential beneficiaries for the Medicare Savings Program, according to a report provided by Medicare. Although this may be considered a small amount of candidates, the savings can be significant with the rising costs of gas, food, and home heating prices in today’s economy.

“We want to make sure that qualifying individuals know what can be afforded to them, and I hope that we were of some assistance in relaying this information to them through the media tour,” Moore concluded. 

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