 The state's pharmaceutical assistance program,
Illinois Cares Rx,
provides wraparound 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 Illinois Cares Rx
or Circuit Breaker can call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 or
Circuit Breaker at 1-800-624-2459.
"The federal Medicare Part D program leaves significant gaps in
coverage for our seniors and can force them to pay more for their
prescriptions than they should," said Blagojevich. "I am proud that
we in Illinois have the Illinois Cares Rx program to help our
seniors get the prescription drugs and benefits that they are
entitled to at a low cost. I want to encourage seniors and the
disabled to go online now and apply to get these best-in-the-nation
prescription drug benefits and the Circuit Breaker benefits as soon
as possible, and to avoid any break in coverage next year."
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 may provide a property tax
relief grant for individuals who rent or pay property tax on their
residence or pay 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. These benefits,
including Illinois Cares Rx, can be accessed by applying on one
application.
In 2006, Blagojevich and the Illinois Department on Aging made
the Illinois Cares Rx and Circuit Breaker application 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. Studies show that seniors are the fastest-growing
population of Internet users. Last year the number of Circuit
Breaker and Illinois Cares Rx Internet applications more than
doubled, when 190,796 people took advantage of the Internet to file
their Illinois Cares Rx and Circuit Breaker application, compared
with 75,288 filed online in all of 2005.
Department on Aging Director Charles D. Johnson suggests that
before logging on to the Internet, individuals should have the
following information available: Social Security number(s), amount
of property taxes paid in 2007, amount of rent paid in 2007 and a
copy of 2007 federal tax returns or a list of all income received in
2007.
"I want to encourage seniors and the disabled to file now --
don't wait to the end of the year. For those seniors and disabled
persons who don't own a computer, reach out to family members who do
and use theirs or visit your local Area Agency on Aging or senior
center," said Johnson.
The Department on Aging has sent booklets to those who submitted
Illinois Cares Rx and Circuit Breaker applications in the mail last
year. Those who filed an application for Circuit Breaker and
Illinois Cares Rx via the Internet should have received yellow
postcards in the mail as a reminder to reapply online.
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Illinois Cares Rx provides a safety net for seniors and the disabled
when their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs go up under
Medicare Part D. People with Medicare applying for Illinois Cares Rx
must also apply for Medicare's Extra Help for drug coverage through
the Social Security Administration. Apply by calling the SSA
toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at
www.ssa.gov online.
Those eligible for Illinois Cares Rx fall into one of the
following groups, whether you have Medicare or not:
-
Illinois Cares Rx
Plus
Who can enroll? If you are 65 years of age or older, a citizen
or qualified noncitizen, and have an annual income of no more
than $23,225 or no more than $31,264 for a couple.
What's covered? Almost all prescription drugs are covered.
- Illinois Cares Rx Basic
Who can enroll? Seniors or people with disabilities whose income
is less than $24,808 for a single person, $32,916 for a couple
and $41,023 for a three-person household.
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).
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, in conjunction with the start of
the new Medicare prescription coverage and provided extra assistance
in 2007 to over 210,000 Illinois Cares Rx members.
For those who don't have a computer at home, seniors can visit a
local senior center, public library, community center, Area Agency
on Aging or Senior Health Assistance Program site to access the
Web-based application. For more information or assistance, please
call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (888-206-1327 TTY) or
Circuit Breaker at 1-800-624-2459 or visit
www.cbrx.il.gov.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
