The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is informing Medicare beneficiaries about the immediate benefits they may see from the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.
A new CMS mailing outlines key provisions of the recently passed healthcare reform legislation that are important for people with Medicare.
Medicare mails the "Medicare & You" handbook to all beneficiary households every fall to provide most up-to-date information about changes in Medicare. The mailings have occasionally been supplemented with additional information on major changes in the law that significantly affect Medicare.
"CMS has learned from implementing previous major pieces of health reform legislation like Medicare Part D that unfortunately new opportunities for Medicare beneficiaries also bring new opportunities for scam artists to try and defraud seniors," said Marilyn Tavenner, acting CMS administrator.
The first benefit that several million Medicare beneficiaries will receive as a result of the passage of the new law is a one-time check for $250 if they enter the Part D "doughnut hole" and are not eligible for Medicare Extra Help. The doughnut hole is the period in the prescription drug benefit in which the beneficiary pays 100 percent of the cost of his/her drugs until he/she reaches catastrophic coverage levels.
"The $250 check that some beneficiaries will soon see in the mail following the brochure for all Medicare beneficiaries is the first step towards the closing of the coverage gap," said Tavenner. "Next year, all beneficiaries who enter the gap will get a 50 percent discount for covered brand-name Part D drugs, and by 2020 will no longer have a gap in coverage."
The new mailing lso outlines other benefits available under the Affordable Care Act. Beginning next year, the act ensures that Medicare beneficiaries will get preventive care services – like colorectal cancer screening and mammograms – without cost-sharing, in addition to an annual "wellness visit."
Tavenner said the law also includes new tools to help fight fraud by helping Medicare "crack down on criminals who are seeking to scam seniors."