The Kaiser Family Foundation held a May 18 forum to discuss the progress in providing low-income subsidies under the new drug benefit to seniors and younger Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities, and the experiences that beneficiaries who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid (known as “dual enrollees”) have had as their drug coverage has shifted from Medicaid to Medicare.

Foundation Executive Vice President Diane Rowland moderated the forum, which also included Michael McMullan, senior advisor to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Beatrice Disman, regional commissioner of the Social Security Administration’s New York Region; John Rother, director of Policy and Strategy of AARP; Vernon Smith, principal of Health Management Associates; and Marilyn Moon, vice president and director of the Health Program of the American Institutes for Research.

In addition, the Foundation released a series of new and updated materials related to the Medicare drug benefit and the experiences of dual-eligible and other low-income beneficiaries. Those resources include:

Transitions 2006
This new video produced by the Foundation highlights the experiences of three people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid under the new Medicare drug benefit.

Observations on the Initial Implementation Of The Medicare Prescription Drug Program
This report assesses the perspectives of a focus group state Medicaid directors on continuing issues related to the interaction between Medicaid and the Medicare prescription drug benefit. It examines key system and coordination issues and potential disruptions that could occur in January 2007 when new Medicare drug plan contracts and recalculated benchmarks for the low-income subsidy take effect.

Toward Making Medicare Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries
This report examines how the low-income provisions of the Medicare drug benefit interact with state-level assistance provided through the Medicare Savings Program. The report surveys all 50 state programs and assesses the implications of their varying eligibility requirements. The report was prepared for the Foundation by the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

Low-Income Assistance Under the Medicare Drug Benefit – Fact Sheet

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit – Fact Sheet

Webcast and Transcript

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