 Seniors
who are satisfied with their current plan do not need to do
anything. The Governor also urged seniors to apply for Illinois
Cares Rx which provides wrap-around prescription drug coverage to
fill in the gaps created by Medicare Part D, and offers drug
coverage for people who do not have Medicare. Seniors with questions
about Medicare Part D or Illinois Cares Rx can call the Senior
HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (TTY 888-206-1327) or visit
www.illinoisbenefits.org.
“Seniors should take the time to compare the prescription plans
available and sign up for the benefits, looking for coverage that
ensures they’re getting the best deal on the medications they need,”
said Gov. Blagojevich. “At the same time, seniors can check to see
if they’re eligible for Illinois Cares Rx to provide coverage, even
where the federal program leaves gaps. We want to make sure that no
senior has to choose between buying prescription drugs and meeting
their basic living needs.”
Medicare recipients who miss the federally mandated deadline will
pay about a one percent penalty for each month they delay in
enrolling once they are eligible. Most people who are currently
eligible for Medicare Part D and do not enroll in a plan until the
open enrollment period next fall will be assessed a 12 month late
enrollment penalty for the duration of their participation in the
program. Illinois seniors and persons with disabilities can apply
for Illinois Cares Rx at any point during the year.
In 2008, the standard federal Medicare Part D prescription drug
program will pay 75 percent of prescription drug costs up to $2,510
after a $275 deductible with an average $30.26 per month premium.
Beneficiaries are responsible for all of their costs between $2,510
and $5,726.25, 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 $2,510 and $5,726.50 is commonly referred to as the
“donut hole.” Illinois Cares Rx provides a safety net for seniors
and persons with disabilities by helping to fill in the gaps of
their Medicare Part D coverage.
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To receive Illinois Cares Rx benefits, members must be in a Medicare
Part D plan coordinating with Illinois Cares Rx. The Medicare Part D
stand-alone prescription drug plans coordinating with Illinois Cares
Rx in 2008 are AARP MedicareRx Preferred, First Health Part D –
Premier, Humana PDP Standard, SilverScript, UnitedHealth Rx Basic,
and WellCare Signature. The Medicare Advantage companies
coordinating with Illinois Cares Rx in 2008 are Essence Healthcare,
Group Health Plan, Health Alliance, HealthSpring, Humana, OSF Health
Plans, PersonalCare Insurance of Illinois, Inc., SecureHorizons,
Evercare and Erickson all from United Healthcare, and WellCare. The
stand-alone prescription drug plans are available statewide.
Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans may be available only in
certain areas of the state.
In 2006, Gov. Blagojevich and the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA)
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 persons accessing the World Wide Web.
Several recent studies show that seniors are the fastest growing
population of Internet users. Last year the number of Illinois Cares
Rx Internet applications more than doubled when nearly 159,000
people took advantage of the Internet to file their Illinois Cares
Rx applications and Circuit Breaker claims, compared to 75,288 filed
online in all of 2005.
Before logging on to the Internet, individuals should have the
following information available: Social Security number(s), amount
of property taxes paid in 2006, amount of rent paid in 2006, and a
copy of 2006 federal tax returns. Individuals can file their 2006
applications through the end of the year. However, the 2007
application will not be made available until mid January, 2008.
Individuals May Also Qualify for Other State Benefits: Illinois
Cares Rx, Property Tax Relief, Reduced License Plate Fee
To find out more about Illinois Cares Rx or Medicare Part D, call
the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 or visit
www.illinoisbenefits.org
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