Round 2 begins for drug coverage

With new online features and a host of trained customer-service agents, the federal government is ready for the second go-round of enrollment for Medicare's prescription drug coverage, which begins today.

"We're very excited," Mike Fierberg, public-affairs specialist for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said Tuesday of the open-enrollment period that continues through Dec. 31.

Nationwide, 38.5 million Americans signed up for Medicare Part D last year. The program marks the first time in Medicare's 40-year history that the government has

helped people 65 years or older, and disabled Americans, pay for their prescription drugs.

Of the 242,000 Medicare-eligible Utahns, more than 215,000 — or 89 percent — signed up for coverage during the initial enrollment period last November. That leaves approximately 26,500 eligible Utahns who have never participated in the program, and CMS estimates that two-thirds of those are eligible for extra financial help, meaning many could qualify for drug benefits without premiums or deductibles.

"The benefits to those people are tremendous," said Fierberg. "They can literally save thousands of dollars."

CMS is encouraging people who are already participating in the program to use this period as an "enrollment check-up." Beneficiaries should ask themselves four questions to determine if they want to change plans:

• Will my premium and costs change under my current plan?

• Do I need more comprehensive coverage, or have my medical needs changed?

• Will the drugs I take be covered by my plan next year? (Some plans have changed formularies, according to CMS. While most have increased their drug options, some have decreased their offerings.)

• Am I satisfied with the service I've received from my plan?

Current enrollees should have already received a document titled an "annual notice of change" from their plan administrator, which spells out the answers to many of the questions, Fierberg said. Those who are satisfied with the drug coverage they've received this year will continue receiving the same benefits into 2007.

"It's important to know that anybody who's happy with their plan need do nothing," Fierberg said.

For those who wish to enroll for the first time or make changes, however, CMS is encouraging them to act before Dec. 8, leaving plenty of time for benefits to be switched or activated by Jan. 1, 2007.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com