CPAT CA Access News - October 2008 Issue


	November 2008 In this Issue: Features \| Partner Spotlight \| Calendar \| Welcome New Partners \| In the News \| Interesting Information \| Contact Us
	CMS Reminds Medicare Beneficiaries to Review and Compare Their Current Drug Coverage By Peter Bauer, Region 9 State Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (SHIP) Liaison, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems recently announced the 2009 Medicare prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plan options. Approximately 97 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) will have access to Medicare drug and health plans in 2009 whose premiums would be the same or less than their coverage in 2008. "As we enter the fourth year of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, we continue to see high satisfaction rates among beneficiaries and high participation among plans," said Weems. "However, plans do change their offerings from year to year. Some beneficiaries may see significant premium increases or changes, such as reduced coverage in the gap, if they stay in the same prescription drug plan in 2009. We encourage individual beneficiaries to review how their plans are changing and what other options are available to them to determine which plan best meets their needs." Read more... Think Twice Before Flushing Your Old Medicine By Larry Lucas, Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Like many of you, I care a great deal about the health of our environment. As a parent, I want to be sure my kids can enjoy the benefits of clean air and water. I also want to be sure children can enjoy and respect all that the great outdoors offer. To achieve this, we all must do our part to responsibly protect the environment – including ensuring the safe disposal of medications. Read more...

	CPAT Welcomes 700th Member! Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. CPAT is delighted to welcome Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. as our 700th member! Mission The mission of Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. is to provide, with dignity, the best possible health care to those it is privileged to serve. About Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc., formerly El Concilio De Madera, incorporated in 1978 and opened its doors in September of 1980 in a renovated facility with a modest practice of 1,500 medical patients. Services consisted of primary health care and health education for perinatal patients. Over the last 26 years, it has grown to become one of the largest local community-based health care providers offering both medical and dental services to nearly 25,000 patients in three state-of-the-art facilities in Madera and Chowchilla. Web site www.camarenahealth.org

	CPAT Webinar: "Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D): Understanding Open Enrollment for 2009" With the open enrollment period for Medicare Part D quickly approaching, it is important for organizations working with Medicare eligible patients to gain an understanding of the Medicare program, the choices available and benefits of participation. This program will give you the tools you need to help the people you serve make confident and informed decisions about their coverage. Through this Webinar, participants will learn: How the Medicare Part D works and the changes in 2009. The important Medicare Part D dates and enrollment resources that are available. How patients can change their Medicare Part D plan during the Open Enrollment period. Resources available to help low-income patients pay for their medicines Wednesday, November 12, 2008 11:00 -11:45 a.m. RSVP Required For more information, please contact a CPAT Consultant: Southern California: Brandon Stephenson at (323) 466-3445 or brandon@cerrell.com Northern California: Charlotte Phillips at (916) 658-0144 or charlotte@perrycom.com The Partnership for Prescription Assistance Bus Comes to California! The PPA's "Help is Here Express" Bus is moving through California -- November 30, 2008 through December 14, 2008. Check the CPAT Calendar of Events for more information on dates and locations on the bus tour and upcoming partner conferences, events and seminars in your area. If you would like your event listed on the calendar, please contact Charlotte at charlotte@perrycom.com. CPAT December Luncheons: "African American Men and Diabetes and Hypertension: Outreach Strategies That Work" Featuring Dr. Bill Releford, Founder of the Diabetic Amputation Prevention's African American Men's Outreach Program San Francisco Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12 noon - 2 p.m. "1300 on Fillmore" Restaurant 1300 Fillmore Street Los Angeles Thursday, December 4, 2008 12 noon - 2 p.m. Trinity Baptist Church 2040 W Jefferson Blvd For more information or to RSVP, contact Gwen Moore at (323) 954-3777 or gwen@pacbell.net CPAT Holiday Receptions Tuesday, December 9 Spataro 1415 L St., Sacramento, CA 95814 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 10 Shanghai 1930 133 Steuart Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 17 Location TBD San Diego, CA 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Thursday, December 18 El Paseo Inn 11 Olvera St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

	Arroyo Insurance Services Asian Business Association – San Francisco Asian Pacific Fund California Wild See Cow Girls Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Los Angeles Chapter Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. Devine Design Hair Salon EMG Music Group Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank K.B. Farms, Inc. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Greater Los Angeles Chapter Media Distributors Merken Insurance and Investment Services NAACP - North San Diego County NAMI - Westside Los Angeles National Corporate Wellness, Inc. National Council of Asian American Business Associations Northern California Black Horseman Association - Sacramento Chapter Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Pacific Gardens Starlight Sleep Center Ullal Insurance Services U.S. Asian Business Council Plus 8 individual partners

	Medicare officials advise seniors to shop around San Francisco Chronicle, September 25, 2008 Federal health officials encouraged Medicare participants to shop around for their prescription drug coverage next year because it could include significant price increases or changes regarding which drugs the plans will cover. Medicare strengthens anti-fraud program Senior Spectrum, October 13, 2008 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced an aggressive plan to locate and prevent waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare system as it continues its efforts to preserve Medicare assets. State cuts take bite out of Social Security checks of some Modesto-area seniors Modesto Bee, October 28, 2008 State health cuts will wring $96.40 per month from the Social Security checks of about 57,000 seniors and disabled people in California, including hundreds in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills. The cuts affect some low-income residents who are dually eligible for health benefits from the federal Medicare program and the state Medi-Cal system. Mercy plans around Medicare cut Merced Sun Star, September 24, 2008 Beginning Oct. 1, Medicare and Medicaid will no longer pay for medical care if patients get an infection while they're being treated at a hospital. For a lot of hospitals, that's bad news because they'll be picking up some of the bills for patient care. But at Mercy Medical Center Merced, it will be business as usual. Delays in Medicare payments hurt doctors Ventura County Star, October 6, 2008 Because of a change in the way Medicare handles claims and a switch in carriers earlier this year, a backlog of California physicians waiting for payments has developed. In May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services changed the way that it handles basic claims to maintain program integrity and avoid potential fraud by creating a national provider identifier for doctors. Men find roadblock to opting out of Medicare San Francisco Chronicle, October 8, 2008 Three men who say they have adequate health coverage and enough money to pay for their health care needs want to opt out of hospital coverage under Medicare. Federal rules say they cannot collect Social Security benefits if they do that.

	Medicare Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, under the age 65 with certain disabilities, and any age with permanent kidney failure (called "End-Stage Renal Disease"). You must have entered the United States lawfully and have lived here for 5 years to be eligible for Medicare.(2) Of the 36 million people living in California, there are nearly 4 million Californians over the age of 65 who are eligible for Medicare.(1) Nearly 6 million people in California are living with a disability that might make them eligible for Medicare.(1) More than 1.4 million beneficiaries have enrolled in Medicare's Part D program since June of 2006, totaling more than 39 million people with Medicare now receiving comprehensive prescription drug coverage.(3) In 2007, there were about 900,000 enrollments for Medicare, including 350,000 that were done online.(3) 1. U.S. Census Bureau – California Quick Facts 2. "What is Medicare?" Fact Sheet 3. MEDICARE DRUG PLANS STRONG AND GROWING, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Press Release, Tuesday, January 30, 2007

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