Massive Hikes On Medicare's Cheapest Drug Plans Plus More Confusion

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Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 14 Oct 2006 - 9:00 PST

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If rate quotes by the US government health program are anything to go by, Medicare's cheapest drug plans will go up by a whopping 44% next year. Some plans are going up by more than triple, others will go up by even higher rates.

Medicaid, which is aimed at helping America's elderly and disabled buy prescription drugs more cheaply, is beginning to be seen by many as nothing more than a trap. First, bait potential beneficiaries with cheap offers, then start raising the prices massively.

With enrollment for Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit just round the corner, the Medicare Rights Center urge CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to force Medicare private drug plans to provide timely and accurate information to people with medicare who turn to the plans' call centers for assistance.

A new report issued by the California Health Advocates and the Medicare Rights Center says call center representatives are not answering basic consumer queries on the workings of the benefit accurately. Representatives are often providing the wrong information to help people correct enrollment decisions, says the report.

Robert M. Hayes, President, Medicare Care Rights Center, said "Good advice is the only antidote to the convoluted prescription drug benefit that older and disabled Americans are forced to navigate. Too often a call to one of the private drug plans does more to mislead, than to help."

The report states that CMS has not set adequate standards for the accuracy given by call center representatives.

The report recommends that customer service representative at CMS call centers have proper training and scripts that enable them to provide accurate and clear information on the following:

-- The enrollment process
-- How a specific plan works, explanations of the coverage gap
-- Vital information for those eligible for the low income subsidy
-- Plan formulary - which drugs are covered and restrictions/limitations of specific coverage
-- Communicating with non-English speakers and those who do not speak English well

Click here to see the report and recommendations

Editor's Comment

Last year we were flooded with comments by elderly people who could not understand what they had to do. The user-unfriendly process was a maze for them. Is this year going to be the same, with the added burden of super hikes?

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
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