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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, February 16-18, 2005 The Park Record Seniors sort through drug programs NOT YOUR AVERAGE BURR1TO JOINT 435-S49-9202 1776 Park Avenue (Holiday Village Plaza) OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK BU loam - 10pm RR.I High-performance auto insurance "American Family is jyst a simple phone call away." Whenever they moved Brad arid Kim Tyler liked the security of American Family auto insurance. "All I had to do was call my agent, and immediately they Followed up on it. It's just worn,' free." says Kim. For safe and secure auto insurance, call today for a free, no-obligation quote. To find out more, call your friendly American Family Insurance Agent today. Julia Larson 1600 Snow Creek Dr.. Sto 1G 435-615-7716 jlarso! fc&amfam.com American Family Mutual Invurance Company wwiv nnrtam ccm AMERICAN FAMILY By REBECCA VESELY Media News Group Wire Bernadette Forristal felt like she hit the jackpot when she went to her pharmacy last month. She had just signed up for one of the do/ens of drug discount cards offered through Medicare since last spring. She wasn't expecting to see much savings and was amazed when she read the tally for her most expensive drug, the breast cancer medicine tamoxifen. That prescription typically cost her $311. Using the card, her total was $119 _ a savings of $192. "I could have kissed the lady at the pharmacy," she said. Eight months after the temporary drug discount program began, there arc other success stories like Forristal is. But there could be many more because only 5.8 million of 34 million eligible Medicare recipients nationwfde have signed up for the discount cards. The biggest obstacle has been the confusing array of choices for seniors and the lack of clear information on how they can benefit, according to recent surveys on seniors' experiences with the cards. Federal health officials hope to fix the problems before they roll out the permanent Medicare drug benefit next Jan. 1. Medicare will begin signing up beneficiaries this fall, and in less than a year the temporary drug discount cards will expire and a new program will begin. Like the current drug discount cards, the new Medicare drug benefit is voluntary and requires a hard look at the private insurers offering the plans and the Lists of dnigs they offer. Six million beneficiaries with very low incomes or who are in nursing homes will be signed up auto- matically. If response to the temporary drug discount card is an indication. Medicare officials have a lot of work ahead of them to make the permanent program appealing, observers said. "This will be equally but differently- complex for seniors ... and more will be at slake." said Judith Stein, director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that counsels beneficiaries. The regulations for the permanent Medicare prescription drug benefit were released Jan. 21. Since then, analysts and health plans have been combing through the 2.000 pages'of instructions. At the heart of the permanent drug program are two choices: Beneficiaries can stay in traditional fee-for-service Medicare and enroll separately in private prescription drug plans, or they can enroll in integrated Medicare Advantage plans to receive all benefits, including drugs. With cither choice, a private insurer will provide the drug discount benefit. Under the rules, at least two providers in every region of the country must offer the drug benefit. How much seniors will save on their drugs depends on how high their drug costs are each year. In 2006. beneficiaries will pay the first $250 in drug costs, and Medicare will pay 75 percent of the next $2,000. Medicare will not cover any drug costs from $2,250 to $5,100, or a total out-of-pocket cost of $3,600. This gap in coverage has been dubbed the "doughnut hole." After participants spend that $3,600, Medicare covers 95 percent of drug expenses over $5,100 each year. Supplemental prescription drug coverage, such as coverage provided officials admitted the initial cost estimate was artificially low. An allernativc Democratic plan thai didn't have a doughnut hole would have awt $900 billion. "Unless you are very low-income, the discount doesn't amount lo poop _ you're much better off going to Canada for your drugs." Stark said. Health plans that want to offer the Medicare prescription drug benefit must submit their bids by July lo the federal government. The bids will be awarded in September, and information about each plan will be available to the public in October. Enrollment in the program starts in November. Another key issue is the timeline for seniors lo sign up. Forristal was able lo delay choosing a temporary drug discount card for months after the program started. But those who delay signing up for the permanent benefit will be penalized. The first enrollment period will run from November 2005 to May 2006. If people choose to enroll in the next period, starting in November 2006. they will pay a penalty of between 1 percent and 12 percent of the total monthly premium, depending on how many months they sign up late. The massive and complex program also will affect seniors and the disabled who now get their drug coverage through Medicaid. the health insurance program for the poor that in California is called Medi-Cal. The 6.3 million people nationwide enrolled in both programs, known as "dual cligiblcs." will be automatically switched over lo the Medicare drug benefit on Jan. 1, 2006. It's unclear whether they will have the same prescription drug benefits they have today under Medicaid. in a pension plan, cannot be applied to the doughnut hole. Each new year, beneficiaries will have to pay the initial deductible, which will rise every year, to $275 in 2007 and $300 in 2008. Enrollecs will pay a premium for their drug coverage, with an estimated average of $37 a month. They also must continue to pay the monthly premium even while they are in the "doughnut hole" _ paying out-ofpocket for their drugs. "That sounds like nuts to people," Stein said. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates participants will save about $465 on prescriptions the first year of the plan. Very low-income beneficiaries won't pay premiums or deductibles and won't have any gap in coverage, and could gain the most from the program. "It's very hard to generalize across 42 million people as to what the benefit will be," said Patricia Neuman, a Medicare expert with the Kaiser Family Foundation. "However, the law includes significant help for those with low incomes." Rep. Pete Stark of California, ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, did not support the Medicare reform bill signed by President Bush in 2003. He said the new regulations are a giveaway to the drug companies and private health plans. "The 'doughnut hole' doesn't make any damn sense." Stark said. Initially, the douglinul hole was sold to Congress as a cost-saving measure to keep the drug-benefit expenses at $400 billion in the first decade. Las! week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pegged the price tag at $724 billion and federal Folic acid use shown to reduce birth defects defect, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. Health department officials For more than 10 years, doctors attribute the improvement to more have urged pregnant women to lake women taking folic acid supplements folic acid to prevent birth defects. before pregnancy, ongoing public Their campaign appears to be education programs and the addition working. of folic acid to food products. Since the Utah Department of "A lot of women don't underHealth, the federal Centers for stand you need to take folic acid Disease Control and Prevention, and before pregnancy and during pregother groups launched a folic acid nancy to gel the best benefits." said awareness campaign in 1992, the Steve McDonald, a spokesman for number of neural tube defects affect- the health department. "Fifty pering the brain and spine has dropped cent of pregnancies are unplanned. by more than 50 percent in Utah. That's why all women capable of getIn 1992. nearly 12 of every 10,000 ting pregnant should lake a rmiltivitUtah babies were born with a neural amin with folic acid." tube defect. The rate declined to 5.2 A number of studies have shown in 2003, translating to 30 to 35 that, if taken before and during early healthy babies who otherwise may pregnancy, folic acid can prevent at have been born with a serious birth least 50 percent of neural tube By CAREY HAMILTON MediaNews Croup Wire defects. Folic acid is a B-vitamin necessary for proper cell growth. The health department encourages every woman of child-bearing age, even if she is not planning on becoming pregnant, to supplement her diet with 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. From 1999 to 2003. 48 percent of women of child-bearing age were taking a folic acid .supplement daily, usually Lri the form of a multiviiamin. according to the health department. That is belter than the national average of 32 percent, estimated by a recent March of Dimes survey. "It is crucial that health care providers talk lo women about taking folic acid daily before pregnancy," said Dr. John Carey, professor of pediatrics and a. medical genetics expert at the University of Utah School of Medicine. "Neural tube defects develop very early in pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant." Starting in 1998. flour used for breads, cereals and pastas as well as rice and other grain products in the U.S. has been enriched with a small amount of folic acid. However, it is best lo eat a heall hy diet and take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid, said Amy Nance, project coordinator with the health departments Birth Defects Network. "'Ib get enough [olic acid from bread,-you have to eat the On tire loaf of bread-or drink 64 ounces of orange juice a day to get the 4<X) micrograms." Nance said. "'Hie two Please see More, A-13 ^ ^ ^J V** • • At Every Price Point Spectacular Wolf Creek Ranch Home Privacy, seclusion & incredible views define this 5 bedroom home with wine, spa and excercisc rooms. An entry way water feature tk. pond accent the western appeal of this home. Owner amenities of the Ranch included in purchase. Offered at S6.250.000 Luxurious Empire Pass Ski Lodge Welcome to Round Hill, Empire Pass' newest ski vacation home. 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