Utahns enrolling in Medicare Rx program

Nearly half of Utahns with direct Medicare coverage have signed up for the program's new prescription drug coverage, according to numbers released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Just over 116,000 Utah seniors have enrolled in the drug program since Nov. 15, joining more than 24 million people nationwide. Coverage under the various plans began Jan. 1.

"We are very pleased with the numbers," Mark Gilbert, the agency's deputy regional administrator, said. "That's well on target for our goal."

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has set a goal of 28 to 30 million Americans with drug coverage under Medicare Part D.

The new program has not been all smooth sailing, however. Complaints have arisen about seniors, particularly those also on Medicaid, having trouble filling their prescriptions under the new plans.

Gilbert acknowledged that there have been glitches but said they are in the process of being resolved.

"Any time you're putting in any kind of massive program of this scale, there's going to be some bumps expected," he said, noting the new program is the largest change to Medicare in its 40-year history.

"We don't want anybody to leave the pharmacy without the drugs they need," Gilbert said. 'We have heard of some stories of that, and we are working hard to have processes in place to fix those."

The problems have largely been technical in nature. Gilbert said a number of steps have been taken to prevent future problems, such as a dedicated telephone line and computer systems specifically for pharmacists to make queries about beneficiaries' coverage.

In its recent newsletter, AARP Utah offers tips for seniors trying to fill prescriptions under the new Medicare plan. Most importantly, seniors need to be sure to bring all relevant documentation — plan acknowledgment letter, Medicare card, photo ID — to the pharmacy with them. If a pharmacy refuses to fill the prescription, AARP recommends that seniors call their plan provider and Medicare right away or simply try to fill the prescription at a different pharmacy.

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