MEDICARE 2006 PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

HHS RELEASE

Date: December 22, 2005
For Release: Immediately
Contact: CMS Public Affairs
(202) 690-6145

Headline: MORE THAN 21 MILLION MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES

TO BE COVERED FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2006

More than 21 million seniors and people with disabilities will get prescription drug coverage as of Jan. 1, 2006, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said today. The number includes more than one million Americans who signed up for the new stand-alone coverage in the first 28 days it was offered. Another 500,000 are expected to be enrolled by the end of January.

"The new prescription drug benefit is off to a strong start," Secretary Leavitt said. "With more than 21 million participating in coverage as of January 1, we are well on the way of meeting our goal of 28-30 million enrolled in the first year of the program. While there is still much work to do, we are encouraged by the early results."

"Interest in the drug coverage is strong, and these numbers do show that people are getting questions answered and making decisions. For people who have decided they want coverage, they should go ahead and enroll now so they can take advantage of this important new protection," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. McClellan noted the especially strong response from employers and unions who are planning on keeping their retirees in their current coverage. "We expected an initial spike in enrollment, but the participation in Medicare's new support for retiree coverage is even better than many predicted," Dr. McClellan said. "With more than 11 million retirees keeping the good coverage they have now, the support for retiree coverage provided in the Medicare drug benefit is working."

Medicare beneficiaries will be getting their drug coverage in various ways, including from existing federal and/or military programs. The enrollment figures as of Dec. 13 are:

· Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans: more than 1 million.

· Medicare/Medicaid: 6.2 million (including 600,000 in Medicare
Advantage plans).

· Medicare Advantage: 4.4 million (plus 600,000 Medicare/Medicaid
beneficiaries).

· Retiree coverage: About 5.9 million retirees are enrolled in the Medicare retiree subsidy, with an additional 600,000 in process. Also, about 1 million retirees are in employer coverage that incorporates or supplements Medicare's coverage. Another estimated 500,000 retirees are continuing in coverage that is as good as Medicare's. (See Attachment A.)

· TRICARE/ FEHB retirees: 3.1 million.

"The holidays are a great time for families to have a conversation with a loved one about signing up for the new prescription drug coverage," Secretary Leavitt said. "The new benefit is the biggest improvement in health care for seniors and Americans with disabilities since Medicare began 40 years ago. We encourage all eligible beneficiaries to enroll so they can start saving right away on the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy -- now and in the future."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be releasing drug coverage enrollment data monthly.

Thank You http://www.RSDHope.org

Beware - Free Medication Scams!

Watch out for "free medication" scams!

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court against MyFreeMedicine.com, LLC, a company that advertised on television and the radio that they could get free prescription medicine for “eligible” consumers. After paying $195.00 to enroll, consumers were directed to pharmaceutical company-run programs. Many consumers found they were not eligible for all the medications they needed.

The FTC has also published a consumer alert, No Need to Pay for Information on Free (or Low-Cost) Rx Drugs.

Go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/rxdrugsalrt.htm

Travel in Comfort

Thursday's Internet Radio Show

Disabled with Pain? Not to Worry.

Travel in Comfort!

Dianne Tuttle has been in the travel industry for over 20 years and specializes in helping people with disabilities make sure they get everything the American with Disabilities Act allows them to have - but often don't get. Helen and Dianne discuss plane travel, car travel, and train travel and the "secrets" to being almost as comfortable as home.

Arrive at your destination not as tired, or in as much pain as you might expect by being prepared and knowing in advance how to plan. Remember, we don't plan to fail, we just fail to plan! Joining Helen and Dianne, a CMT (certified massage therapist) to give you tips on how to self-massage those tired legs, feet, shoulders and other places that may become sore and achy from sitting. Nancy Brown teaches you how to relieve pain, sore muscles, and relax while traveling. This will be a fun show and just in time for the holidays when many will be traveling.

Listen live tomorrow by visiting:
www.health.voiceamerica.com at 5 PM (eastern)

Important Alert!

You could be at risk for serious and life-threatening events if you have any underlying cardiopulmonary conditions and your healthcare provider uses NeutroSpec [Technetium (99m Tc) fanolesomab] when doing bone scans or other imaging procedures. The manufacturer and the FDA have reported some serious events when a radiodiagnostic agent consisting of a murine IgM monoclonal antibody formulated to be labeled with technetium was used. These events generally occurred within minutes of injection.

Two deaths have been attributed to cardiopulmonary failure within 30 minutes of injection. Additional cardiopulmonary events, including cardiac arrest, hypoxia, dyspnea and hypotension, required resuscitation with fluids, vasopressors, and oxygen.

Although this agent is indicated for scintigraphic imaging of patients with equivocal signs and symptoms of appendicitis who are five years of age or older, some healthcare professionals may be using it for bone scans for people with CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome).

If you are using NeutroSpec, you should be closely monitored for at least one hour following injection. Resuscitation equipment and appropriately trained personnel must be readily available during this time. If you have any underlying cardiopulmonary conditions you may be at higher risk for serious complication. You should only use NeutroSpec after carefully considering the known and potential risks and benefits.

You may access this alert, at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2005/safety05.htm#NeutroSpec

The Time to Act is Now!

RSDSA is supporting H.R. 1020 Bill that will establish an Office of Pain at the National Institute of Health. We have just received word from the American Pain Foundation (APF) that a critical hearing on Chronic Pain, which we anticipated would be in January, is the TOMORROW!

The House Sub-Committee on Health will be holding a hearing this Thursday December 8th at 10 a.m. in the Rayburn Building (HOB 2123) entitled "Improving America's Health: Examining Federal Research Efforts for Pulmonary Hypertension and Chronic Pain." We want the best outcomes from this hearing and are asking you to contact your Congressional representatives (especially members of the Subcommittee on Health) and encourage them to attend this hearing.

Please contact your representative about this hearing. A simple way to to write your representatives is to connect to APF's Advocacy Center:
http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=Action/intro.htm

The members of the Subcommittee on Health are listed here as well.
If you are able to travel to D.C. on Thursday, we are encouraging as many pain patients, advocates, and professionals to attend the hearing.

Please contact Michelle Lonchar at the APF (410) 783-7292, Ex. 306) if you plan on attending so they are sure to have enough room.

It is vitally important for Congress to hear from everyone who is concerned about improving pain care in America. The time to act is NOW. Do not allow this opportunity to slip away. We may not get another chance to stress how the undertreatment of pain, as a national health crises, is causing undue suffering all around us.