Medicare program to aid Utah seniors

Aging services advocates want to get the word out that Utah's senior population will soon be able to take advantage of a Medicare discount prescription program, helping reduce escalating drug costs.

As part of a federal change signed into law last December, in May seniors may begin enrollment in a program to obtain a discount card to save as much as 25 percent on the cost of prescriptions.

The new drug benefit — offered for the first time through Medicare — was explained Wednesday by the Utah Associated Living Association to seniors at the Wentworth Senior Living Center in Salt Lake City. It is the first of many meetings that will be held throughout the state to the 3,500 seniors the group represents.

For Wally and Bernice Koller, married 63 years and residents at Wentworth, the program has the potential to help them deal with prescriptions that have gone as high as $700 a month.

The two — she's 87, he will turn 87 next month — struggle on a fixed income. "We have bills every day," she said.

It is not a situation that is atypical, explained association president Dave Fox.

"Prescription drug costs are exceedingly high," he said. "On average, seniors are on between eight and 10 different medications on a cost that can range from $400 to $1,000 a month."

The reality is, many older citizens are forced to choose between buying necessary medication or food.

"It is a great burden that is presented to residents and their families to be able to afford this," Fox said.

Under the program, seniors can sign up and get the discount through a specified vendor. Low-income seniors are eligible for an additional $600 in annual assistance to help pay for their medications.

Lubna Khan, a representative of the United Seniors Association, said very few seniors are aware of the new benefit and may be intimidated by the packet of information they will receive from Medicare officials.

That was also the worry of Kim Butler, the Kollers' daughter who attended the presentation to learn more about the benefit.

"They need to make sure they individualize this for each resident," she said, adding that existing private discounts offered by drug manufacturing companies may conflict with this new benefit.

The goal, Fox and Lubna stressed, is to let seniors know the option is available. It is an option that is the first roll-out of an expansive Medicare prescription program that includes a host of other benefits that won't kick in until 2006. Because of the time delay, this segment is being offered first as a way to ease into helping seniors save costs.

If seniors are eligible for the discount card, that benefit will carry through until the full program kicks into effect.

Seniors or families interested in learning more can call 1-800-Medicare.

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com