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News release: National December 7, 2005
Contact: Kaiser Permanente National Council on the Aging Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Kaiser Permanente and The National Council on the Aging Join Forces to Help Medicare Beneficiaries with Limited Means WASHINGTON, DC -- Kaiser Permanente and the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) are mounting an innovative campaign to identify Kaiser Permanente's Medicare members who may qualify for the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and to assist them in applying for the extra financial help the government has made available. As part of the campaign, NCOA will use intensive targeted direct mail and telephone outreach to contact Kaiser Permanente members who are likely to be eligible for LIS, and assist them with the application process. In addition, NCOA will also screen Kaiser Permanente members for eligibility for other public benefits using NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp Web-based service (found at www.BenefitsCheckUp.org). The campaign is underwritten by a $2 million Kaiser Permanente grant to NCOA, including local sub-grants to support community-based LIS outreach by Access Benefit Coalitions (ABC) that serve vulnerable communities across the country. The outreach activities will be managed by Benefits Data Trust (found at www.BDTrust.org), a non-profit organization started by NCOA and the Philadelphia-based Foundation to Benefit Our Seniors. "We are proud to collaborate with NCOA in this innovative way to reach our most vulnerable Medicare members so they may get extra help with their prescription drug costs and other public benefits to enable them to thrive," said Herman Weil, Kaiser Permanente senior vice president for Medicare. "Working with NCOA and ABC's local coalitions on this campaign is clearly an extension of our social mission to improve the health of our communities." "Kaiser Permanente is demonstrating significant leadership and commitment to helping their most vulnerable members get access to this new Medicare benefit," said James Firman, NCOA president and CEO. "We are willing to work not only with Kaiser Permanente but with other organizations to help increase enrollment in the LIS using qualified leads and personal one-on-one contacts. With these personalized efforts, we will not only reach many more people who qualify for the LIS, but also vastly increase the likelihood that they will enroll." "We applaud Kaiser Permanente and NCOA for taking these extra steps to help find people who can get significant extra help with their drug costs next year. Their efforts will make a real difference in bringing Medicare's comprehensive coverage to people who may be struggling between paying for medicines and the other basic necessities," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "We also appreciate that Kaiser Permanente and NCOA are willing to share what they've learned from this effort." The Low Income Subsidy is available from the government to qualified Medicare beneficiaries who have limited income and resources, and provides extra financial help with their drug costs. Any Medicare beneficiary with questions about LIS may also contact the Social Security Administration directly at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778 for the hearing and speech impaired), or online at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/. Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8.3 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 142,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 12,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more information, www.kaiserpermanente.org Founded in 1950, The National Council on the Aging is a national network of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the health and independence of older persons and to increasing their continuing contributions to communities, society, and future generations. For more information, www.ncoa.org. ### |
