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"The federal drug prescription program doesn't protect all of our
seniors," Blagojevich said. "In fact, it leaves significant gaps
that force them to pay more for their prescriptions than they
should. But here in Illinois, we have the Illinois Cares Rx program
that helps our seniors get the benefits they are entitled to. Now,
with the newly expanded income guidelines, even more of our seniors
can take advantage of these best-in-the-nation prescription drug
benefits. I encourage all those who didn't believe that they were
eligible for the program, because their income was over the limit,
to go online or visit one of their local senior centers and apply."
Illinois Cares Rx provides a safety net for seniors and the disabled
when their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs go up under
the federal program. This year, a significant number of seniors
received Social Security cost-of-living adjustments that put them
over the income limit for the program. Based on this fact, the new
income eligibility levels for Illinois Cares Rx are as follows:
-
Total income must be
less than $22,793 for a single person
-
Total income must be
less than $30,594 for a couple
-
Total income must be
less than $38,393 for a family of three
Those eligible for Illinois Cares Rx fall into one of the
following groups, whether a person has Medicare coverage or not:
-
Illinois Cares
Rx Plus
Who can enroll? If you are 65 years of age or older and have an
annual income of no more than $21,936, or a couple with an
annual income of no more than $29,412, and are a citizen or
qualified non-citizen.
What's covered? Almost all prescription drugs are covered.
- Illinois Cares Rx Basic
Who can enroll? Seniors or people with disabilities and with
income less than $22,793 for a single person or $30,594 for a
couple.
What's covered? Prescription drugs for the treatment of
Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, glaucoma,
cardiovascular disease, lung disease and smoking-related
illnesses, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, multiple
sclerosis, and HIV/AIDS (if you have Medicare).
"If you haven't applied for the Illinois Cares Rx drug coverage
program this year because your income was over the limit, I
encourage you to try again," said Illinois Department on Aging
Director Charles D. Johnson. "Those seniors who have access to the
Internet, file for Illinois Cares Rx online at
www.illinoisbenefits.org
so that you can get your benefits faster. And if you don't own a
computer, I recommend reaching out to family members who do own
computers and use theirs, visit your local Area Agency on Aging or
senior center, contact a SHIP volunteer in your community, or if you
have any questions, you can always call the Illinois Department on
Aging's Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966."
In 2007, the standard federal Medicare Part D prescription drug
program will pay 75 percent of prescription drug costs up to $2,400
after a $265 deductible, with an average premium of $24 per month.
Beneficiaries are responsible for all of their costs between $2,400
and $5,451.25, with the plan paying 95 percent of costs beyond that
top threshold. The gap where a beneficiary has to pay all the drug
costs, between $2,400 and $5,451.25, is commonly referred to as the
"doughnut hole." People with Medicare who are applying for Illinois
Cares Rx must also apply for Medicare's Extra Help for drug coverage
through the Social Security Administration. Apply by calling
toll-free 1-800-772-1213 or online at
www.ssa.gov.
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The Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans currently
coordinating with Illinois Cares Rx are the AARP MedicareRx Plan,
UnitedHealth Rx Basic and WellCare Signature. The Medicare Advantage
companies currently coordinating with Illinois Cares Rx are Group
Health Plan, Health Alliance, HealthSpring, OSF Health Plans,
SecureHorizons by United Healthcare and WellCare HMO. The
stand-alone prescription drug plans are available statewide.
Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans may be available only in
certain areas.
Individuals eligible for the Illinois Cares Rx program may also
be eligible for additional benefits from the state's Circuit Breaker
program. The Circuit Breaker program provides a property tax relief
grant for individuals who pay property tax on their residence or pay
rent or nursing home charges on a residence that is subject to
property tax. In addition, the program provides an annual $54
discount on the license plate fee for one vehicle. However, the new
income guidelines for Illinois Cares Rx affect the drug coverage
benefits only. The income limits for the Circuit Breaker property
tax grant and license plate discount have not changed.
Blagojevich and the Illinois Department on Aging made the
Illinois Cares Rx applications available online to make it easier
and quicker to apply for benefits and to accommodate the increasing
number of older people accessing the World Wide Web. Several recent
studies show that seniors are the fastest growing population of
Internet users. Last year the number of Internet applications more
than doubled, as nearly 159,000 people took advantage of the
Internet to file their Illinois Cares Rx applications and Circuit
Breaker claims, compared with 75,288 filed online in all of 2005.
Before logging on to the Internet, the Blagojevich administration
suggests having the following information available in order to make
the process smoother: Social Security numbers, amount of property
taxes paid in 2006, amount of rent paid in 2006 and a copy of 2006
federal tax returns.
In June 2005 Blagojevich signed the "No Senior or Person with
Disability Left Behind" law, which created the Illinois Cares Rx
program, the nation's most comprehensive response to fill in the
gaps created by the federal prescription drug program. Illinois
Cares Rx took effect Jan. 1, 2006, with the start of the new
Medicare prescription coverage and has provided extra assistance to
nearly 245,000 Illinois Cares Rx members and other Medicare
beneficiaries.
To apply for Illinois Cares Rx or to find out more information
about the new income guidelines, please call the Illinois Department
on Aging's Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966, TTY 888-206-1327 TTY
or visit
www.illinoisbenefits.org.
To find out more about Illinois Cares Rx, call the Senior
HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 or visit
www.illinoisbenefits.org.
[Text from news release received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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