187,000 Utahns sought drug coverage
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the numbers Wednesday, one month after the close of the enrollment period for Medicare Part D. Including those seniors eligible for assistance through other programs, such as Veterans Affairs, more than 38 million Americans now have prescription drug coverage.
"Introduction of the Medicare prescription drug benefit created an unprecedented opportunity and a breath- taking challenge," said Mike Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a statement. "The challenge has been met, and . . . the promise is being fulfilled, day in and day out, prescription by prescription."
In Utah, some 70,000 eligible Medicare recipients signed up for stand-alone prescription drug plans and just over 25,000 selected the more comprehensive Medicare Advantage plans. Approximately 22,000 low-income seniors, who also qualify for Medicaid, were automatically enrolled in the program, according to the data.
Implementation of Part D represented the biggest change to Medicare in its 40-year history. The roll out of the new program saw significant problems, particularly with regard to low-income beneficiaries, who were automatically enrolled in the program. Other seniors experienced problems getting their prescriptions filled at local pharmacies and difficulty choosing from the many complicated plans.
The next open-enrollment period for Medicare Part D begins on Nov. 15. Penalties will apply for those seniors who were eligible this time but failed to or opted not to sign up for the program.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com
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