Over 38 Million People With Medicare Now Receiving Prescription Drug Coverage
Department of Health and Human Services
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that 38.2 million people with Medicare are now receiving comprehensive prescription drug coverage, in many cases even better coverage than they ever had before.
A surge in enrollment took place in the closing weeks of the enrollment period, with more than 2 million beneficiaries signing up between May 1 and the May 15th deadline.
The average premium in 2006 for beneficiaries, not counting retiree coverage, is less than $24.
In addition, 87 percent of beneficiaries chose plans other than the standard benefit, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Total enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans increased by over 26 percent (1,249,041 self enrollees) during the six month enrollment period, bringing the total number of beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans to 7.4 million.
Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs): 10.4 million people with Medicare have enrolled in stand-alone prescription drug plans, including 2.2 million enrollees receiving the low income subsidy (LIS).
About 1.1 million beneficiaries are currently enrolled in MA-only plans; many of these beneficiaries in private fee-for-service plans are receiving Part D through a separate PDP and therefore included in the enrollment totals for PDPs.
Retiree Coverage: 6.9 million retirees are enrolled in the Medicare retiree subsidy.
In addition, about 1.5 million retirees are in employer and union-sponsored coverage that incorporates Medicare group drug coverage and about 400,000 retirees are in employer and union-sponsored coverage that wraps around Medicare drug coverage -- these beneficiaries are counted in the PDP and MA-PD totals above.
Indian Health Service (IHS): There remains 0.1 million beneficiaries with creditable drug coverage through the IHS being served by I/T/U pharmacies in 28 states.
