Caution urged on Medicare cards

Senior citizens looking to cut the cost of their prescription drugs should do their homework before signing onto a Medicare discount drug card, and be on the lookout for scams, officials say.

Monday was the first day that Utah's elderly and disabled residents could sign up for one of 16 discount cards, which can be used starting June 1. The cards are designed to deliver savings on seniors' monthly drug bills by encouraging competition among pharmacies, insurance companies and drug companies.

"The real message needs to be: Don't get flustered, don't get concerned, this is something you need to take time to think about," said Shauna O'Neil, director of Salt Lake County Aging Services. "Second, if you get a call from somebody who wants to sell you (a Medicare card) or sell assistance . . . that's a scam."

One of the most important reasons to shop around for the best value is that once a senior chooses a plan, it's locked in until the end of the year, O'Neil said. The most appropriate card for a person depends on what drugs the person takes, where the person lives and whether he or she is open to getting drugs through the mail.

Some critics have questioned whether savings will be significant, and some Utah seniors voiced their own concerns.

Retired attorney Rod Dixon, 80, of Salt Lake City, say's he'll "have to think it out" before signing on to a card.

"I don't think I understand it. I don't think most people understand it," he said. "What trade-offs are there? If I take the card, how will it affect my other benefits?"

Lawrence Bobcock, 67, an LDS missionary from Conway, Ark., said: "I don't think it offers anybody enough to be of any help."

Salt Lake area senior citizens will be able to have some their questions answered Wednesday, when Rear Adm. Christina Beato, acting Assistant Secretary for Health, visits Liberty Senior Center to discuss Medicare reform.

"So far a lot of (seniors) are concerned and confused," said Nancy Freeman, the center's director. "We're trying to plan some educational information workshops here so they can get the information they need."

Freeman said many seniors don't know how to access the information on computers, and for many seniors not all of their prescriptions are covered by the same card.

O'Neil noted one plus of the plan applies to low-income seniors, who may qualify for $600 in free prescription drugs each year, and have the enrollment fee of up to $30 waived.

"For the poor who are not eligible for Medicaid, this is a very good deal," O'Neil said. "For everybody else, my guess is people are going to have better (options). . . . It is better than what we have today."