Chamber Joins Education Effort for Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce today joined in the launch of the Medicare Rx Education Network — a coalition of more than 40 national organizations dedicated to coordinating activities, sharing resources, and disseminating consistent information about the new Medicare prescription drug coverage to America's seniors and disabled citizens.

"The framework of the new prescription drug benefit will go a long way toward providing 40 million eligible Americans a flexible benefit offering a number of choices, but many may have questions about the coverage they will be eligible for and how to sign up for it," said Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue. "The Chamber's federation is uniquely able to further the effort to educate retirees, their caregivers, and those nearing retirement about this new option to pay drug costs."

About 12 million Medicare beneficiaries receive health care benefits from former employers, who will receive federal payments to maintain those benefits or offer other options to retirees to enhance the basic Medicare drug benefit. The new drug coverage is optional and goes into effect January 1, 2006. Current Medicare beneficiaries will be able to sign up for their preferred option starting November 15, 2005, and must do so no later than May 15, 2006, to avoid paying higher premiums later.

Members of the Medicare Rx Education Network are organizations representing seniors, patients, people with chronic diseases or disabilities, pharmacists, insurers, healthcare providers and employers. Education efforts will include television ads and grassroots activities in local communities. Members of Congress will be encouraged to get the message out to their constituents as well.

The Chamber has been there from the beginning, working hard to drive passage of the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003," said Donohue. "Now it is incumbent upon us to help America's retirees and their family members learn about Medicare options and the steps they need to take to sign up for them."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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