Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Overview

In December of 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 was signed into law. This new law makes Medicare prescription drug benefits available to Medicare beneficiaries starting in January 2006, and represents the most significant change in Medicare since the program began.

Medicare beneficiaries have long been faced with the financial burden of the rising cost of outpatient prescription drugs. Currently, one fourth of seniors with Medicare alone do not have prescription drug coverage. Now, thanks to the legislation that created Medicare Part D, prescription drug benefits will become available to eligible Medicare beneficiaries starting in January 2006.

Depending on your income and resources, you may qualify for extra help paying for your prescription drugs. If you qualify, you will only pay a small amount for your prescriptions and will have continuous coverage. If you have not already received an application for assistance, contact your State Medical Assistance office or the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

To view an educational brochure on Medicare prescription drug coverage, please click here (PDF File 106KB).

If you have additional questions, or if you’d like to learn more, you can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. You can also visit www.medicare.gov for the latest news on this program.

 

Last updated 09/26/2005 - S5715-MRK-ILWebsite