Lathrop Seniors Scour Drug Plan
Posted on: Thursday, 2 March 2006, 12:00 CST
By Cheryl Winkelman, STAFF WRITER
LATHROP -- John Joseph Serpa, 80, of Lathrop, is a bit of a holdout.
He takes three costly medications for his heart, but he hasn't been in any rush to sign up for Medicare's new prescription drug program.
"There are a lot of plans," he said.
"I was skeptical because of the articles I had read in the paper. They implied there's something wrong with it."
Ken Lamm, 63, also of Lathrop, said the number of plans was confusing and overwhelming.
He's looking for a plan for his wife, whose name he was not comfortable revealing.
"She doesn't like to go to doctors," he said. "Picking a plan is not in her way of thinking."
Although both men are slightly behind the curve -- more than 3 million out of 4.2 million eligible California seniors already have signed up for a plan -- Peter Bauer, a health insurance specialist at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the two are actually sophisticated consumers, taking the time to see what's out there.
They have until May 15 before premiums go up.
To help sift through the options, both men attended a seminar Tuesday at the Lathrop Senior Center for one of California's 47 insurers, Secure Horizons.
Lamm is still shopping around, but Serpa signed up for a plan that offered prescription drug coverage and an add-on, or extra health insurance to help cover what Medicare does not.
The extra insurance costs him nothing. He will pay about$50 a month in co-pays for his prescription drugs and $20 in premiums, agent John Murray said.
That's a considerable savings. His add-on, through AARP, was running $174. And just one prescription costs $40 for a 30-day supply.
Savings is what the new Medicare program is all about, said Jack Cheevers, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Seniors, on average, will save 50 percent, or about $1,500 a year, he said.
Plus, the prescription drug program has no cap. After the senior has spent about $3,600, the federal government will pick up 95 percent of future bills.
That helps seniors if they get extremely ill and need lots of prescriptions.
The new Medicare plan has also meant that people who previously couldn't afford some of their medications can now go home fully stocked, said Brian Cole, a pharmacist at Bob's Pharmacy in Manteca.
Cheevers admitted that news coverage showing a bumpy transition period for the new Medicare program was accurate. Some seniors had trouble getting their prescriptions after they weren't properly listed as eligible in the new program. But he said the process is now going more smoothly.
For those who have yet to pick a plan, he recommended calling Medicare. By telling a counselor what one wants to pay, what drugs are taken and what the neighborhood drug store is, the choices are narrowed down, he said.
For help, call (800) MEDICAR or visit http://www.medicare.gov. Another good resource is the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program at (800) 434-0222.
To contact Cheryl Winkelman, call (209) 832-6144 or cwinkelman@trivalleyherald.com.
Source: Oakland Tribune
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