Prescription Drug Coverage Subsidies Available For Maryland Residents

Thousands Of Prescription Drug Coverage Subsidies Available For Maryland Residents

City of Gaithersburg and the Maryland Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program Help Seniors Determine Eligibility for Prescription Coverage Assistance

Baltimore, Md. - Thousands of Maryland residents on Medicare are not taking advantage of the available assistance to subsidize their prescription drug costs. The Maryland Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP) helps reduce the costs of Medicare Part D drug coverage for moderate-income seniors and disabled people.

On Tuesday, November 17, Gaithersburg-area residents are invited to attend a free Maryland Medicare Prescription Drug Plan open enrollment workshop at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, where they can receive unbiased help from SPDAP representatives who will provide personal, one-on-one help from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. At the workshop, eligible seniors will be able to apply for SPDAP membership, learn more about the $1,200 "doughnut hole" subsidy and $300 a year premium subsidy with help from unbiased counselors.

SPDAP provides up to $25 per month toward the premium of the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan chosen. Should beneficiaries fall into the phase known as the "doughnut hole," wherein the total cost of prescription drugs exceeds $2,700 before the end of the year, SPDAP offers a doughnut hole subsidy of up to $1,200 through a select group of plans that have agreed to accept the subsidy.

Eligible persons must be a resident of Maryland, be enrolled in a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan, and have a total income of less than $32,490 for an individual or $43,710 for a couple.

"Gaithersburg is proud to partner with the Maryland Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program to bring this important workshop to our senior residents," said Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz. "It is important that we make our residents aware of all assistance programs that can help them achieve both physical and financial well-being."

Medicare beneficiaries wishing to attend the workshop at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park should call 1-800-215-8038 to RSVP. Current or potential beneficiaries of the subsidy, or their caregivers and family members, should bring the following items to the workshop:

• Medicare identification card, if available
• List of current prescription drugs
• Current prescription drug plan statement, if available
• Proof of state residency such as a Maryland driver's license, state identification card, six-month-old utility bill, or rental agreement
• Proof of household income: 2008 federal income tax return or a copy of Social Security and other relevant income and benefit statements if a tax return was not filed

Medicare members who cannot attend the workshop can call 1-800-215-8038 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The open enrollment period for Medicare Part D is between November 15 and December 31, 2009, for coverage beginning January 1, 2010.

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