Mental Health & Rehabilitation eCast January 2006

The following special edition eCast provides accurate and helpful resources on Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for those under 65 with disabilities. Selections by Lyn Legere, MS, CRC, CPRP, consultant/trainer on Medicare Part D and staff member at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

FOR ANYONE

U.Mass Center for Health Policy & Research - http://www.masschec.org/ Q&A, references, Dual Eligible PowerPoint & Tip Sheets

National Mental Health Association - http://www.nmha.org/federal/MedicarePrescriptionDrugBenefit.cfm#facts

Consumer workbook in English & Spanish. This book provides comprehensive coverage in easy-to-understand language. There are also fact sheets on different components of Part D on the NMHA website.

Understanding Changes in Prescription Drug Coverage for People with Disabilities on Medicare - A very good resource focusing on people under 65 with disabilities.
http://www.georgetown.edu/research/ihcrp/rxchanges.html

NAMI - There is a longer and shorter document describing Medicare Part D in relation to people with psychiatric disabilities.
1) http://www.nami.org/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm?ContentFileID=5907
2) http://www.nami.org/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm?ContentFileID=5908

FOR AGENCY PRACTITIONERS-

The ABCs of Part D - Online Book by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) http://www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/Bookstore/ABCs.htm#abcs

http://www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/Bookstore/ABCs/appendixB-timeline.pdf

Information on law plus ways for agencies to work with different groups of program participants, e.g. people with different benefit profiles.

HIV/AIDS SPECIFIC

Treatment Access Expansion Project - A Medicare Part D Enrollment booklet
http://www.taepusa.org/documents/medicare_partd_toolkit.pdf -

MULTI-LINGUAL RESOURCES

Medicare Rx Info Source - http://www.medicarerxinfosource.com/EDUCATE.ASPX?CID=10007&tab=2&st=8
     Simplified booklet available in the following languages:  English, Spanish, Tieng Viet, Tagalog, Chinese, Japanese and Russian.

Hispanic Health -
http://www.hispanichealth.org/pdf/CaregiverBrochure_9_15_04.pdf
     General information on Medicare as a whole, from 2004
http://www.hispanichealth.org/medicare.lasso
     General information on Part D
http://www.hispanichealth.org/pdf/medicare_benefits.pdf   
     Bilingual Information Document on Part D
http://www.hispanichealth.org/pdf/MTPC_ESP.pdf   
     Spanish brochure on Part D

Phone numbers for multilingual and TTY assistance:
     TTY:                1-877-486-2048
     Chinese           1-800-582-4218      
     Korean            1-800-582-4259      
     Vietnamese     1-800-582-4336

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.mentalhealthpartd.org - Info on Medicare Part D organized in sections for Consumers, Psychiatrists & Community Mental Health providers.

http://www.tricare.osd.mil/medicarepartd/   - This provides information for people with Medicare Part D and TriCare for Life (Veteran's)

LYN LEGERE , MS , CRC, CPRP has been helping people negotiate public benefit systems, especially Social Security, since 1985.  A primary focus of her work has been providing consultation and training to people with psychiatric disabilities.  Since the passage of the Medicare Modernization Act, Lyn has been dedicated to serving the quasi-forgotten under-65 population, training beneficiaries, providers and families across the country on the ins-and-outs of Medicare Part D.