NEED RELIEF ON YOUR PRESCRIPTI

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Need Relief On Your Prescription Drug Costs?

(NAPSM)-Medicare is paying 75 percent or more of prescription drug costs for people with limited incomes and resources all over the country. All they did was apply. People with limited income and resources may have a hard time paying for their medicines, but help is available. And if you think you won’t qualify, think again.

One woman with Medicare was struggling to pay for her prescriptions even with a drug plan and her $800 Social Security benefit. Monica, a counselor at the local State Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP) in Louisiana, talked to her about how to apply. Once she heard that the value of her house, as long as she lived in it, would not be used to determine if she was eligible, she applied and qualified. She was very grateful.

If you qualify, it can help pay your drug costs, such as monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription copayments. Many people qualify and they don’t even know it.

Apply now-it’s the only way to see if Medicare will pay 75 percent or more of your prescription drug costs. Apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov, call Social Security at (800) 772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or go to the nearest Social Security office for assistance. All information provided in the application is confidential.

Individuals who make less than $15,600 and married couples who make less than $21,000 may qualify to have lower Medicare prescription drug premiums, copays and deductibles. If you support other family members or live in Alaska or Hawaii, this income limit may be higher. In addition, these individuals should have resources of less than $11,990 and these married couples should have resources of less than $23,970 to qualify.

Resources include things such as bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but not your house or car.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and when you can join, call (800) MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) or visit www.medicare.gov.

Apply today. This information prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.