The Aging Services Network Community Based Enrollment Campaign
The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recognized the important role of the national Aging Services Network in organizing national and grassroots level outreach and education to the Medicare community. AoA has contracted with n4a once again to take the lead in coordinating the Community Based Enrollment Campaign in Medicare. This effort will help mobilize the Aging Services Network to assist and educate the maximum number of low-income persons with Medicare apply for the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and join a prescription drug plan authorized through the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). Additionally, this year's project will also support the My Health, My Medicare outreach campaign to help beneficiaries understand their full Medicare benefits, including prevention benefits added to Medicare under the MMA.
Since 2006, CMS has been successful in enrolling LIS eligible individuals into Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. Of the approximately 13 million beneficiaries that CMS estimates were eligible for the LIS in 2006, nearly 10 million now have coverage for prescription drugs. With the recently extended special election period that allows LIS approved beneficiaries to enroll through the end of 2007 without penalty, these numbers will continue to grow. In efforts to continue this progress, CMS and AoA wish to continue outreach and education efforts until every beneficiary who might want to apply for the LIS can receive personalized assistance and learn to get the most out of their Medicare benefits. In addition to utilizing the existing Aging Services Network (including the 56 State Units on Aging (SUA), 650 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), 240 Title VI Native American aging programs and other aging services providers), this year's campaign will work with a national partner to develop and support a new information helpline service to the Asian American Pacific Islander community.
The benefits of the MMA can only be realized if persons with Medicare, their families and caregivers are sufficiently educated on and get the counseling assistance they will need to enroll in a drug plan. Older members of minority, limited income, limited English speaking, and other underserved populations are expected to need a great deal of assistance in order to enroll for this benefit. The effort to enroll people into Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage has a significant focus on community-based resources to educate people about the new benefit and provide enrollment assistance that will allow people to make fully informed decisions about their coverage options.
As we move forward, the efforts of CMS, AoA, n4a and our partners will provide information that will direct people to community-based organizations that will have the capacity to provide personalized enrollment assistance, including helping people with low-income select and enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan at the lowest personal cost. It is important that the community-based organizations to which people are directed are capable of supporting the demand on their resources that will be generated by these efforts.
Agencies interested in learning more about this campaign should contact Abigail Eddy with n4a.
