Implementing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
On January 1, 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage became available to the program’s 43 million beneficiaries. To receive the coverage, however, beneficiaries must actively opt in to Medicare Part D by selecting a prescription drug plan (PDP).
Foundations and the Media
Local and national media outlets can help grantmakers inform and educate the public about important health issues and promote the work of their grantees. For many foundations, however, working with the media is uncharted territory.
Medicaid: Vital to Women’s Health
Although Medicaid is not usually perceived as a women’s health program, it covers critically important medical care for 12 million American women. Grantmakers with a focus on women’s health are paying close attention to proposals to restructure the Medicaid program, which could have major implications for low-income women’s access to health care services.
Getting Prescription Drugs to Those Who Need Them Most
There are major changes taking place in the way elderly and disabled people pay for prescription drugs. These changes are being ushered in by the new Medicare law, which, if it lives up to its promise, will be incredibly helpful to some of the most vulnerable members of our society. What are the details of the new law? How many people will it affect? How will low-income people be assisted? What are the implementation challenges? How are they being addressed by the federal government? What can grantmakers do to help?
New Choices and Hard Decisions: Helping Seniors Navigate Medicare
Educating seniors on the changes to the Medicare program will be a challenge for both the public and private sectors. Reaching the nation’s 41 million Medicare beneficiaries — 35 million of whom are over the age of 65 — will require a mix of customized, one-on-one assistance and broad education campaigns. This Issue Focus proposes that providing information and referral services for seniors and their families is an area ripe for foundation work, and outlines a number of opportunities for grantmakers.