7,000 Utahns Eligible for Prescription Drug Benefit

Aug 13, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Thousands of Utah residents are eligible for a Medicaid prescription drug benefit that could save them hundreds of dollars a month, but they don't know it. Mike Fierberg of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says getting all who are eligible to sign up for the program is a priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Congress intended for this program to provide the greatest benefit for those with the greatest need. We completely concur with that goal. And it gets more and more difficult to get the last few," Fierberg says. "We want to make sure that they know about this program, and that they make an application or they get someone to apply for them."

Roughly 7,000 Utahns are eligible for the benefit, including 2,900 in Salt Lake County. Fierberg says the benefit could save them 75 to 95 percent on prescription drug costs. For those who meet the income guidelines, the late fee for signing up for the prescription drug benefit is waived. Fierberg says the biggest barrier to getting everyone eligible for the program is education. Many just don't know they're eligible.

"People might have applied for some programs, and have been rejected for them, just because their income was a little too high, or they had too many assets, and figure: Well, I can't get any help from the government. But that's not true," Fierberg says. "The income and the asset levels that qualify you for this program are substantially higher than they are for, let's say, Medicaid."

The program is an added layer of service to the Medicare Part D program for those who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is roughly $1,300 per month for a single person and $1,750 per couple.

Call the Utah Department of Aging and Adult Services at 800-541-7735 for more information. 

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW