Medicare Part D Rollout:
A Story of Challenges / Success
by Dave Strait
In Buffalo, Minnesota an initiative is underway between various
community organizations which may serve as a template for many communities
to ease barriers to Part D information access and assist Medicare
eligible people make an informed choice.
Overlooked in the rollout are the underutilized resources in most
communities that are available through Community Education or County
and State Extension Services. The many resources such as: school
computer labs with internet access; volunteers to operate computers;
and a responsive contact staff could serve 60% to 80% of the eligible
population effectively and economically. All of this could make the
six-week enrollment period at the end of 2006 to be successful.
Medicare’s uneven Part D rollout combined with vendor influenced “information” sessions
and a five-plus day response times from SHIP authorized healthcare
insurance consultants is preventing many people from enrolling. Another
challenge to the roll-out is that there are fewer than 500 consultants
to serve Minnesota’s 700,000 eligible people. In order to help
the participants in Buffalo we created a project that we are calling “A
Senior’s Friend” as a volunteer support network we continue
to look for ways to support older adults living independently and
safely.
With assistance from congressional district staff to bring key people
together, Community Education, Technical Center (alternative high
school), assisted living, Senior Linkage Line (SHIP authorized health
insurance consultants), Ministerial Association, Community Center
(senior center), local pharmacists, community service organizations
and volunteers met to find ways to help people with Part D.
Creating points of human
contact, avoiding voicemail and phone trees, developing reliable
sources of transportation to provide a degree of spontaneity for
those lacking transportation or who shouldn’t
drive, developing home safety review/resolution with fall prevention,
and expanding outreach and access to existing beneficial programs
are among the areas we are working to improve in Wright County Minnesota.
In less than three weeks, “A Senior’s Friend” announced
availability of hundreds of free seats at the Technical Center computer
lab where volunteers will provide online navigation so that an eligible
person can get plan comparisons based on their medications. The volunteers
are supported by Senior Linkage Line consultants, pharmacists and
experienced people.
Local media, community service organizations and churches are helping
announce the availability. Community Education is managing the sign-ups
and confirming process including offering to arrange transportation.
A training guide on how to operate the online service was created
and reviewed by Senior Linkage Line and is being used to train volunteers.
The first public session was held Thursday, January 26, 2006 and
will continue through May 15, 2006 alternating morning and afternoon/evening
sessions each week.
Participants are given an opportunity to enroll if they choose to
and informed on how to get the claim submission information their
pharmacy will need in a day or so while they wait for their benefit
plan card to arrive by mail several weeks following enrollment. Participants
may also take printed details for study and return at a future session
for assistance with enrollment. Individuals with complex needs are
referred to a consultant and financial assistance applications are
provided as needed.
It may be possible to recreate
this initiative in other communities in a very short time and assist
many people in getting their Part D information. It may also be possible
to establish ongoing Community Education programs to assist people
with Part D annually as well as access and utilize the Benefits Check-Up
Web tool, perhaps on a quarterly basis consistent with their programming.
Programs like this can help the Community Education or State and
County Extension Services fulfill their mission. Community programs
create the possibility for discovering or rediscovering the affinity
that exists across age and interest groups in appealing and enjoyable
ways.
Dave Strait, of Buffalo,
MN can be reached at 612-245-1268 or by e-mail at dave@1man.org.
Your comments, insights and support for this community program
are welcomed and appreciated.
