FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2006      

Contact:

Gregory E. Knoll (619) 471-2620

GEK@cchea.org

The Consumer Center Launches Campaign to Enroll Seniors and Persons with Disabilities in a Federal Government Aid Program to Pay for their Medications

Nonprofit law firm launches first-of-its-kind initiative to help people enroll in the Low-Income Subsidy

SAN DIEGO - The Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy began its fourth month of a campaign to help adults over 65 and persons with disabilities pay for their prescription medications.

Since November of 2005, the Consumer Center advocates have worked diligently to help low-income Medicare-only beneficiaries enroll in the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), also known as “Extra Help”. This subsidy is a form of federal governmental aid that helps people pay for their prescription drugs by covering most of the costs associated with their private prescription drug plans under Medicare Part D (PDPs). 

LIS pays for all or most of the drug plan’s monthly premium, eliminates or reduces the deductible, and drastically reduces the co-pays for medications covered by the drug plan.  In order to receive LIS, someone must be enrolled in Medicare, have limited income and assets, and apply for the subsidy by submitting an application to Social Security. In order to qualify for LIS, an individual must have a gross income less than $1,225 per month ($14,700 per year) and assets less than $11,500. In turn, a married couple must have an income less than $1,650 per month ($19,800 per year) and assets less than $23,000. Please note that neither the primary place of residence nor automobile are considered assets.

Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medi-Cal, SSI, or a Medicare Savings Program need not apply for LIS in order to receive it. These individuals were automatically enrolled in LIS and a PDP on the first of this year. Unlike these individuals, people who are only enrolled in Medicare must apply for LIS in order to receive it. Medicare-only beneficiaries must also enroll in a PDP so that they can receive the benefits LIS offers.

Under a grant from the Access to Benefits Coalition, a project of the National Council on the Aging, Consumer Center advocates have launched an aggressive campaign to outreach to the estimated 25,000 San Diegans who are eligible to receive LIS.

Since November 2005, the Consumer Center has hosted numerous free group and individualized counseling sessions around the county on LIS and Medicare Part D at senior centers, health care organizations, and low-income housing complexes. At these events, Consumer Center advocates explain LIS and help Medicare beneficiaries complete the application and submit it to Social Security.

The Center also operates a call center to field calls from Medicare beneficiaries who have questions about LIS. The advocates help Medicare beneficiaries apply for the subsidy over the phone by completing the application online at Social Security’s website.  This month, Consumer Center will hold application drives at community health events including Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny’s Medicare Part D Fair on Friday, March 17 at the Chula Vista Library and Congresswomen Susan Davis health fair on Saturday, March 18 at the City Heights Workforce Partnership, Inc.

Consumer Center advocates are available to provide free LIS application assistance and counseling for both individuals and groups. Assistance is available in English and Spanish. To get application assistance or schedule an event, please call (619) 471-2681 or call us toll-free at 1-877-734-3258. Se habla Español.

About the Consumer Center

The Consumer Center, a program of the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc., offers hope and assistance to eligible low-income consumers attempting to navigate San Diego County’s physical health and mental health systems of care. We have completed our sixth year helping San Diegans understand and use the health care system, access quality services, learn about and exercise their rights, and become educated advocates for themselves and their families.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 6, 2007

Contact:  Gregory E. Knoll (619) 471-2620

GEK@cchea.org

Extra Help Available for Medicare Recipients with Part D Costs

SAN DIEGO – Understanding Medicare Part D (Part D) is difficult and even more so when it comes to dealing with high-cost medications.  To meet these challenges, the Alliance Healthcare Foundation (Alliance) has awarded a two-year, $400,000 grant to the Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy (Consumer Center), a program of the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. for its Part D Low-Income Subsidy Enrollment Project.

In San Diego County, there are still an estimated 12,000 individuals who are eligible but have not enrolled in the Low-Income Subsidy (also known as Extra Help).  This important government program helps people save thousands of dollars annually on Part D co-pays, deductibles, premiums, and coverage gap known as the “donut hole.”  Beneficiaries can apply also for Medicare Savings Plans (MSPs), which help them pay for the $93.50 Part B monthly premium. Over the next two years, the project will educate 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries and professionals about Extra Help and MSPs and assist 2,000 beneficiaries with  the application process.  The specific focus is on hard-to-reach ethnic groups in the County of San Diego, such as Hispanic, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Filipino beneficiaries. The Consumer Center’s assistance includes helping consumers determine which drug plans are the best match for their medication needs.

"We are very pleased that the Alliance gave us this important and generous grant,” said Gregory E. Knoll, Esq., Executive Director of the Consumer Center.  “We look forward to providing improved access to preventive and primary health care for low-income and underserved populations.  This grant allows us to help Medicare beneficiaries, especially those in ethnic communities, apply for Extra Help with Part D drug costs."

The project started in November 2005 and has been funded by the Alliance, The National Council on Aging, and The California Endowment (TCE).  Since that time, the Consumer Center has assisted nearly 300 individuals with applying for Extra Help or MSPs and provided advice on related issues. With  the Alliance funding, the Consumer Center’s ability to conduct outreach and help individuals is greatly enhanced.  “In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimate that Extra Help is worth $3,660 annually in savings,” said Knoll.

Established in 1988, the Alliance is a private, nonprofit foundation that works to increase access to healthcare for medically under-served populations through grantmaking, primarily in San Diego County. In addition to grantmaking, the Alliance uses advocacy and public education to further its mission and inform the community about critical healthcare issues. Its funding priorities include access to healthcare, community health, and mental health.

The Consumer Center offers free comprehensive education and advocacy services, and coordinates these for the indigent and individuals receiving physical or mental health benefits through publicly funded programs such as Medi-Cal or County Medical Services.  It was created through a public-private partnership between the County of San Diego Health and Human Services, the Alliance, TCE, and the region’s Medi-Cal managed care plans.

For more information on applying for a Part D Drug Plan, Extra Help, or MSPs, please contact Colleen Jensen-Cook at 619-471-2650 or  toll free at 1-877-734-3258 x. 2650 or visit: www.lassd.org.

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