From Deseret News archives:
Many don't know prescription help is available
Medicare public affairs specialist Mike Fierberg, like his counterparts in other regions, has been making the rounds of newsrooms and organizational meetings to talk about the benefit, which pays at least 75 percent of a qualified beneficiary's medication costs.
The average enrollee in the program will save $3,000 a year, he said. Many of the people who qualify are the same folks who qualify for the economic stimulus payment and have not filed; Fierberg says of the more than 12,000 Utahns who have not filed for their stimulus payment, 65 percent are 65 or older.
The majority of beneficiaries of the pharmaceutical benefit, called the Low Income Subsidy (LIS), have already been found and automatically enrolled because they qualified for other programs, including Social Security benefits because of a disability or Medicaid. The missing folks have somewhat higher income up to 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines, Fierberg said. Because they don't qualify for other assistance, they may incorrectly assume there's no help for them.
"Congress intended it to be an extremely rich benefit and it is," Fierberg said.
You can apply at your local Social Security office or call and have a form mailed to you. You can also access form 1020 online through ssa.gov. The benefit starts as soon as you qualify and if a qualified individual has not applied already for Part D Medicare, there's no penalty to do so now to get into the program.
Not all Part D plans are allowed with the LIS program, so some people may end up switching plans to access this benefit. There are at least a dozen plans in Utah to choose from if needed, Fierberg said.
The fed's "best guesstimate" indicates 2,893 low-income seniors in Salt Lake County are eligible, along with 638 in Weber County, 840 in Utah County, and 281 in Davis County. Cache County has an estimated 157, while Washington County has 289. The numbers, which seem precise, are estimates extrapolated from Social Security, Census and Internal Revenue Service data.
Besides income eligibility, there's an asset test that does not count home, car and personal property, but limits cash or cash-equivalent assets to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a couple.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com
Comments
- 2 arrested in Roy double slaying 9:56 p.m.
- Utah delegation split on plans 9:55 p.m.
- Cougars, Utes on list of MWC honorees 9:55 p.m.
- Sports briefs 9:51 p.m.
- Teen girl killed in Kaysville crash 9:48 p.m.
- Gallery: Holidays with the Herberts 9:28 p.m.
- Patrolman kills suspect in slayings 9:24 p.m.
- No resolution for fire station neighbors 9:18 p.m.
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention 9:17 p.m.
- UNLV earns ranking before BYU 9:11 p.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- BYU says Hall incident resolved
- Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- MWC '09 season in review
- Jazz win 6th in 7 games
- Jazz ready to be without Harpring
- Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
903 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
482 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
401 - Max Hall issues apology
387 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
345 - Utes won't respond to Hall
275 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
236 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
158 - BYU is champion of the state
143 - Religion in politics is tiresome
128
My husband was teaching his 6th-grade class in Salt Lake last year when...
There is no good reason for universities to be involved with athletics. The...
The darling young girl who lost her life tonight is my neighbor. May this...
I don't think the story plays on the ignorance of Utah readers. It is known...
If the Oly v. Skyline game was a fluke, how do you explain Oly doubling your...
"This problem is a lot worse that what we believed in the beginning.." Sound...
Hey back off cowboy he has a right to say what he feels this a jazz fan blog....
I wasn't doggin clemens and eaton. I was just curious who the girls are and...
Keith will make a great judge. He is bright and articulate and has the right...
Joe is my hero. We could only hope to replicate him in other locales.
I too, am an out of state transplant. I have never heard so many people who...

You can be the first to comment on this story.