Be ready for questions from your low income Medicare patients about how to fill
out applications developed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to
determine if they qualify for assistance to help pay for all or part of their
Medicare Part D benefit. Part D goes into effect Jan. 1 and pays for
prescription drugs. The model application form will determine and verify
if an eligible beneficiary's income and resources (assets) qualify for
assistance.
It is important to note that these applications are
not Medicare Part D enrollment applications to participate in any particular
Medicare plan. The SSA application form is only the first step and is for
low-income beneficiaries--about half of Medicare eligible patients. All
other Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible to enroll starting Nov.
15. Some of your Medicare beneficiaries may already be receiving these
applications. This includes Medicare-eligible beneficiaries who are
currently receiving Medicaid assistance. SSA and state Medicaid offices will
begin accepting these applications no later than July 2005.