With a large majority of limited income subsidy beneficiaries not enrolled in Medicare Part D, Medicare recently announced that it is automatically enrolling beneficiaries who applied for extra help with prescription drugs costs but have not signed up for a Part D plan. Their coverage began May 1, 2006.
These beneficiaries have applied for extra help with prescription drug costs from the Social Security Administration and been approved for the limited income subsidy. While these patients are being auto-enrolled into a Part D plan, they have the right to switch to another plan.
Notification of auto-enrollment is being mailed to limited income beneficiaries. This letter is based on lack of Part D enrollment through February 2006. Consequently, some patients have received letters even though they signed up for a Part D plan after February. These patients do not need to call Medicare or the plan notified in the letter to disenroll – they can stay in their current plan.