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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
Session: Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) and its Impact upon PLWH
407.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005: 7:00 AM-8:00 AM
Business Meeting
Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) and its Impact upon PLWH
Many PLWH are facing a significant change in the way they get access to HIV medications. Medicare’s new prescription drug benefit program (Part D) begins on January 1, 2006, and although enrollment is voluntary for most Medicare beneficiaries, the 50,000 to 60,000 (dually-eligible) PLWH covered under both Medicaid and Medicare will automatically be dropped from Medicaid drug coverage and enrolled in Medicare Part D. This new program has many complexities. What drugs PLWH can get will depend on what provider they select, and how much they will have to pay in premiums and co-payments will depend upon both their income and how much they have already spent on the program. While support from CARE Act AIDS Drug Assistance Programs will not count toward client expenditure requirements, many PLWH will qualify for low-income subsidies. This new program will clearly have an impact upon ADAP and other CARE Act programs as well. This session will discuss the Medicare drug benefit, its implications for people living with HIV/AIDS and the CARE Act, and what providers and case managers can do to help Medicare beneficiaries prepare for the changes ahead.
Panelist(s):Richard Conviser, PhD
Mary R. Vienna, RN, BSN, MHA
Moderator(s):Monica Whitwell
Organized by:HIV/AIDS

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA