Medicare estimates that 37,529 eligible Missourians have not signed up for a program that would help them pay for Medicare Part D and drastically reduce their prescription drug costs.
The program is known as "Extra Help for Medicare Part D," or the "Low-Income Subsidy." It pays 75 percent or more of prescription drug costs associated with Medicare Part D, the federally subsidized prescription drug program.
Carol Beahan, director of the nonprofit CLAIM program, would like to see more people enroll in the program.
"Many people don’t think they can afford Medicare drug coverage, because it does require cost sharing. That’s what the Extra Help program is for. People shouldn’t have to make a choice between buying groceries, or buying their medicine. Tight budgets shouldn’t force people to sacrifice their health," Beahan said.
"Some simply may not know they could be eligible for the program. Others might see the program as a handout; but I tell them that every week they have paid for the benefit already. Now’s the time to use it," Beahan said.
Applications for the Extra Help program can be requested by phone by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. It can also be completed online at www.socialsecurity.gov or at your local Social Security office.
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