The Administration on Aging Honors Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

For the month of May, the Administration on Aging (AoA) will join communities across the nation in celebrating the achievements of Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). AAPIs, including those 65 and over, continue to represent a fast growing part of the U.S. population.

The AoA is committed to helping this growing elderly population access health and social services so that they will be able to maintain good health and independence. The Medicare Prescription Drug program offers an important opportunity for Medicare eligible seniors to obtain assistance in paying for their drugs. Everyone on Medicare is eligible to join a drug plan under the Medicare Prescription Drugs coverage (Part D). People with limited income and resources will receive extra help paying for their prescription drug coverage. People with the lowest incomes and resources will receive the most help.

Many non-English speaking AAPI seniors may have difficulty in understanding their benefits. We want you to know that help is available when it comes to learning about and enrolling in the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), supported in part by the AoA and in collaboration with more than 30 community and faith based organizations, is assisting seniors enroll in the Medicare Prescription Drug program. NAPCA set up a toll-free Multilingual Helpline Center specifically to help AAPI seniors navigate through the Medicare Part D process so that they can have access to the best plans for their specific situation. Over 2,000 seniors have called the Helpline and received assistance in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and English.

The Helpline is assisting AAPI seniors navigate all aspects of Medicare Part D. Sessions include helping them find a prescription drug plan that is best for them, enrolling them, and answering a myriad of questions about coverage, including problems encountered at the pharmacy. Elders are guided to the helpline through local community based organizations nationwide, as well as articles published about the helpline in the Asian media.

NAPCA National Multilingual Toll-free Helpline Numbers:

• English 1-800-336-2722
• Chinese 1-800-582-4218
• Korean 1-800-582-4259
• Vietnamese 1-800-582-4336

AoA also continues to support a number of Evidence-Based Prevention grants program that target the health of AAPI seniors. They are models of adaptable, low-cost interventions for reducing the risk of disease and disability in older people. We expect the results of these demonstration projects later this year.

30 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Now Receiving Prescription Drug Coverage

Medicare announced today that more than 30 million Medicare beneficiaries are now receiving prescription drug coverage. The nation’s pharmacies filled 270 million prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries in the first three months and more than 93 million prescriptions were filled during March -- averaging 3 million prescriptions filled per day.

In addition, 5.8 million people with Medicare get drug coverage from the Veterans Administration and other sources with prescription drug coverage equal to Medicare -- bringing the total to approximately 35.8 million Medicare beneficiaries now receiving prescription drug coverage.

“These strong enrollment numbers are a tribute to everyone in the national network of caring -- all of our partners, community leaders, the State Health Insurance Programs (SHIPS), and family members, who have provided counseling and assistance to the millions of beneficiaries who are now taking advantage of this new benefit and saving money,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. “With a month to go, we've passed our projections of 28 to 30 million enrollees in the first year, and we are intensifying our local outreach efforts to get more seniors signed up before the May 15th deadline."

To view press release visit: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060420.html

To view enrollment data online visit cms.hhs.gov/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/02_enrollmentdata.asp.

To enroll, visit www.medicare.gov.