Essex Junction--With sign-up for the new federal Medicare Part D drug benefit less than two weeks away, Lt. Governor Brian Dubie today joined with Brian Cresta, a senior federal health care official, and a host of local community-based organizations to launch the Medicare Rx Access Network of Vermont, a network dedicated to educating Vermont’s 96,000 Medicare beneficiaries about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Today’s kick-off was held at the Racquet’s Edge Health and Community Fitness Center in Essex Junction, which conducts a number of fitness programs for area seniors.

Dubie chairs Vermont’s Governor’s Commission on Healthy Aging, and is a Vermont delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.

The Medicare Rx Access Network of Vermont is one of 50 state-based programs of the national Medicare Rx Education Network. Its 14 Vermont members represent seniors, patients, people with disabilities and chronic diseases, pharmacists, healthcare providers and businesses. Its members include the Vermont Assembly of Home Health Agencies, the Vermont Medical Society, the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and the Vermont chapter of the American Cancer Society. The Medicare Rx Access Network of Vermont was created to share resources, coordinate activities and disseminate information to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers about the new Medicare Part D drug coverage.

Beginning January 1, 2006, Medicare will include a prescription drug benefit that could provide Medicare beneficiaries with savings on their prescription medicines. Medicare covers hospitalization and visits to the doctor, but until now Medicare has not covered prescription drugs. The new prescription drug benefit will offer 42 million Americans coverage for a wide array of medicines.

“Reaching more than 96,000 Vermonters who are eligible Medicare beneficiaries is no small task,” said Brian Cresta, Region 1 Director, US Department of Health and Human Services. “The goal of the Medicare Rx Access Network of Vermont is to help Medicare beneficiaries make the most informed choices they can about enrolling in the new prescription drug coverage. These organizations are pulling together to make certain that the challenge is met successfully.”

“It is critical that we reach out to people on Medicare, and those who care for them, so beneficiaries can make confident, informed decisions about their prescription drug coverage,” said Lt. Governor Brian Dubie. “This new network and its efforts will be a big help toward our goal of reaching Vermont seniors and people with disabilities where they live, work, pray and play.” Dubie has traveled to communities throughout the state this fall, meeting with seniors and helping to them about available options.

The Medicare Rx Access Network of Vermont hopes to eliminate duplication of efforts and maximize the effectiveness of outreach efforts. The network also hopes to pre-empt any confusion about the new Medicare prescription drug coverage by making sure information disseminated about the benefit is factual and accurately conveyed. The network will, whenever possible, direct beneficiaries to local resources in neighborhoods and communities where questions can be answered face-to-face or in a phone call with a local counselor. The network does not engage in legislative activities or take positions on pending legislative or administrative policies related to the Medicare Part D benefit and its implementation.

Enrollment begins Nov. 15, 2005. Coverage begins January 1, 2006. Detailed information about prescription drug plans for Vermont residents became available in October through the Medicare and You Handbook and the www.medicare.gov

Employers and unions also sent information to their former employees and members in October, allowing these beneficiaries to compare their current coverage with other Medicare prescription plans.

Beneficiaries with limited incomes — an estimated one-third of the Medicare population — or more than 30,000 Vermonters, will get extra help and pay little or nothing at all. Like other forms of insurance coverage, Medicare’s prescription drug insurance protects against high costs in the present and unexpected costs in the future.

“Many beneficiaries are asking what can they do right now to get themselves ready to take advantage of the new benefit,” said Stephen Evangelista, President & CEO of The Arthritis Foundation of Northern and Southern New England, one of the 14 members of the Medicare Access Network of Vermont. “They key steps beneficiaries can take now are to gather a list of the drugs they take, ideally from their pharmacist, with dosage information and write down what kind of prescription drug coverage they already have, if any. With this information in hand, they can call 1-800-Medicare or visit www.medicare.gov to find the plan that is best for them.”