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NEW ACCESS TO BENEFITS COALITION™ WILL HELP FIND PRESCRIPTION DRUG SAVINGS FOR LOWER-INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICARIES

Broad, Unique Partnership Is Building Online and Community Resources to Support Enrollment of 5.5 Million in Rx Savings Programs by 2005

June 7, 2004 (Washington, DC) - More than 70 organizations today formally launched the Access to Benefits Coalition™ (ABC), a unique public-private partnership formed to reach out to, educate, and enroll Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomes in Medicare's new prescription drug savings program and other programs for which they qualify.

"ABC believes that, for most lower-income Medicare beneficiaries, enrolling in a combination of prescription savings programs will bring the greatest savings," says James Firman, chair of the Access to Benefits Coalition and president/CEO of The National Council on the Aging. "Most people who qualify for the $600 credit can save even more than that because of additional or 'wrap-around' benefits available from state programs and pharmaceutical companies. The greatest challenge is getting people to enroll."

ABC has developed a rich set of online tools and information resources to help organizations to enroll millions of lower-income beneficiaries. They are designed primarily for community agencies, professionals, and caregivers who are in contact with lower-income Medicare beneficiaries and are available at www.accesstobenefits.org. The Web site includes unique state-specific Prescription Drug Savings Guides that provide an overview of federal and state government and pharmaceutical company savings programs available to residents. It also offers an Enrollment Center that contains forms, many of them fillable online, not offered anywhere else. A "Promising Practices" section offers case studies on outreach programs targeted to lower-income audiences.

To provide a resource for caregivers and community organizations nationwide, the ABC site also offers a powerful Web-based decision support tool, BenefitsCheckUpRx™. In a few minutes online, those who use it can determine which prescription savings programs they qualify for, including the Medicare-approved discount card program.

Recent national surveys suggest that Medicare beneficiaries are confused about the new program, if they even know it exists. ABC's immediate goal is to educate lower-income Medicare beneficiaries about available options, help them make informed choices, and assist them in enrolling in the new Medicare-approved Drug Discount Card program, so that they receive the $600 credit through 2005.

The coalition's efforts will coordinate with and complement the work of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which estimates that about 2.5 million of the 7.2 million lower-income Americans eligible to receive a $600 credit toward prescription drug costs will fail to enroll, forfeiting the annual $600 savings in both 2004 and 2005. With this in mind, ABC's objective is to enroll at least 5.5 million lower-income beneficiaries by the end of 2005 - more than 800,000 over current government estimates. To meet this objective, ABC is building a grassroots network that will include local and State ABC coalitions and community organizations - all to make sure that lower-income beneficiaries get the prescription savings available to them.

"This is the most important opportunity in 40 years to help lower-income Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug costs and the government can't do it alone," says Firman. "The Access to Benefits Coalition is mobilizing the resources of non-profit organizations, businesses, and foundations to make sure that more lower-income Medicare beneficiaries get the prescription savings they need."

Despite sustained efforts over many years, millions of Americans eligible for government benefits programs do not use them. Roughly half of seniors eligible for Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare Savings Programs, for example, still are not enrolled. Also, previous educational efforts targeted to lower-income seniors and persons with disabilities have only been successful when they include community outreach offered by trusted organizations. The historical challenge in enrolling lower-income individuals in public benefits programs points to a need for widespread collaboration such as the coalition represents.

The ABC non-profit member organizations not only bring a comprehensive range of perspectives and resources to this challenge, they also bring community trust built over many years in their nationwide networks of state and local affiliates and chapters. Members now include 72 senior, disability, faith-based, minority, provider, consumer, and advocacy organizations - and the roster continues to grow.

To deploy the resources of this diverse membership base, ABC is initiating broad-based grassroots action and collaboration. Local coalition efforts will include volunteers providing one-on-one assistance to beneficiaries to help them to determine the best mix of public and private prescription drug savings programs.

ABC is a public-private partnership dedicated to ensuring that lower-income beneficiaries know about and can make optimal use of new Medicare prescription drug benefits and all other available resources for saving money on prescription drugs.

Coalition members share a commitment to helping Medicare beneficiaries find the public and private prescription savings programs they need to maintain their health and improve the quality of their lives. In addition to the resources of its more than 70 members, ABC activities are supported by funds being raised from pubic and private sources, including government, private industry and foundations. Chaired by The National Council on the Aging, ABC is led by a five-member Steering Committee, comprised of leaders from NCOA; AARP; Alzheimer's Association; National Alliance for Hispanic Health; and Easter Seals. Further information is available at www.accesstobenefits.org.