NCAL Asks House To Follow Senate Lead On Medicare Part D Co-pay Bill
Contact:
Lisa Gelhaus, NCAL, (202) 898-2825
For Immediate Release
June 21, 2007
Washington, DC –Today, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) asked Congress to eliminate Medicare Part D co-pays for dual eligibles—beneficiaries eligible for Medicare and Medicaid—in assisted living and other residential care settings, in a statement submitted to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health.
NCAL’s Executive Director David Kyllo applauded the committee’s effort to improve the benefit. Kyllo explained the gap in the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit affecting the frail elderly in assisted living.
“We thank the committee for holding a hearing that asks for simple improvements to Medicare Part D benefit that would protect beneficiaries,” said David Kyllo, executive director of NCAL. “The benefit needs to be modified to alleviate the financial pressure that dual eligible beneficiaries in assisted living and other residential care settings are experiencing.”
Under the Medicare Modernization Act, Congress exempted dual eligibles living in nursing facilities from any co-payments for their Part D prescription drugs. However, dual eligibles in assisted living and residential care facilities must make co-payments for their Part D medications. Dual eligibles in assisted living are similar to those in nursing facilities. Both have limited incomes and use an average of eight to 10 medications, according to recent studies. Under Part D, co-payments for dual eligibles range from $1 to $5.35 dollars per prescription. About 15 percent of 1 million Americans in assisted living are dual eligibles.
“Remedying this gap in prescription coverage is based upon simple common sense, and is supported by a coalition of 36 healthcare advocacy organizations,” Kyllo stated. “This is a hole in the Part D safety net that needs to be mended. We ask that the House immediately introduce companion legislation to S. 1107.”
S. 1107—the Homes and Community Services Co-payment Equity Act of 2007 would eliminate Part D co-payments for dual eligibles in assisted living, residential care facilities, group homes for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, psychiatric health facilities, and mental health rehabilitation centers. Dual eligible beneficiaries receiving services under home- and community-based waivers in home settings would also be relieved of Part D co-payments under the bill.
To view NCAL’s statement and the letter of support visit: www.ncal.org.
###
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represents nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation’s frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org.