493,600 Tennesseans enrolled in Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

May 15 open-enrollment deadline approaching   Some 493,600 Tennesseans are now enrolled in prescription drug plans through Medicare, according to numbers recently released by the federal government. This number includes those signed up for stand-alone prescription drug plans and for Medicare managed care plans that include prescription coverage. Of the 912,365 Medicare beneficiaries in Tennessee, some 75 percent (688,000 beneficiaries) now have some kind of drug coverage. “The increasing enrollment numbers show that the savings and peace of mind that the new Medicare drug program offers are real and worth the time and effort to understand,” said Adrienne Lippard, director of Living at Home Services for Senior Citizens, Inc. The Medicare Rx Access Network of Tennessee is reminding still-eligible Tennesseans that the deadline for open enrollment is May 15. Those who sign up after May 15 may be subject to paying higher premiums. Medicare expanded its benefits to include prescription drug coverage on January 1, 2006. This was the biggest expansion of Medicare benefits in the program’s four-decade history.  “Reaching out to eligible beneficiaries in Tennessee about the new coverage has been no small task,” says Lippard.  “Seniors should know there is help available for selecting a plan that’s right for them.” Beneficiaries and their family members with enrollment and coverage questions can get help by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), by visiting www.Medicare.gov, or by calling Tennessee’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 1-877-801-0044. Prescription drug coverage is available to everyone in Medicare, regardless of income or how they get their Medicare coverage. In Tennessee, some 18 organizations offer stand-alone prescription drug plans, and at least nine organizations offer Medicare managed care plans that include prescription coverage. Extra assistance is available to people in Medicare with limited incomes and resources.