Newsletter Addresses Medicare Questions

back

Newsletter Addresses Medicare Questions

By Melissa P. Mc.Namara, the New York Times

February 10, 2004

For people with questions about their benefits and rights under the new Medicare law, help is available from a weekly newsletter with a most unusual name, Dear Marci.

The newsletter is published by the Medicare Rights Center , a patient advocacy group based in New York . (Marci is loosely derived from its acronym.) Counselors at the center developed it two years ago to answer questions about Medicare and to distribute health tips and information about health resources on the Internet.

It is sent free by e-mail to thousands of people, said Diane Archer, founder of the center.

"We think of Dear Marci as the Dear Abby for older adults struggling to get answers to their health care," Ms. Archer said.

"Since President Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, the biggest change in the Medicare program since its inception, Dear Marci has received more questions than it has in past years, said Naomi Newman, author of the newsletter. The new drug benefit becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2006 , and the Medicare drug discount program takes effect this June.

Ms. Archer said the center's phones had been ringing incessantly with people asking about the law. "Everybody is confused about how it's going to work," she said. "Dear Marci can update people."

Questions in the newsletter are drawn from more than 75,000 that the Medicare Rights Center receives each year, many through e-mail via its Web site, www.medicarerights .org. In this way, the counselors can try to anticipate questions.

Frequent questions concern what Medicare hospital insurance covers and ways to keep up with drug costs until the new benefit starts. "Many consumers want to know which prescriptions Medicare covers today and what they will receive tomorrow," Ms. Archer said.

The newsletter highlights different topics every week, like supplemental coverage and home care. It also covers Medicare news, including details on the new drug discount program and changes in the limits placed on outpatient physical, speech and occupational therapy, Ms. Newman said.

"We have been hearing over the years from an increasing number of folks with a wide range of questions," Ms. Archer said. "We can reach out through Dear Marci on an ongoing basis to help people struggling to find answers to their health care questions, especially in light of all the recent Medicare changes."

The center says it is the largest independent source of Medicare information and assistance in the country with hot line services and public education programs.

Beginning next month, Medicare questions will be answered online at www .medicareinteractive.org.