SeniorCare Drug Plan – Wisconsin

Low-income elderly could lose drug plan, By Guy Boulton, March 13, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed two-year budget would effectively end the state’s SeniorCare prescription drug program in its current form, forcing tens of thousands of people to enroll in more-expensive private plans available through Medicare Part D. The SeniorCare program, introduced in 2001, provides low-cost prescription drug coverage to low-income people over 65. About 91,000 people are in the program, and for most of them, switching to private coverage could cost hundreds of dollars more per year. ‘Most people now in SeniorCare will not be better off in Medicare Part D,’ said John Hendrick, governmental affairs director for the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups. The least expensive prescription drug plan through Medicare Part D in Wisconsin this year costs $177.60 and has a $310 annual deductible as well as co-pays. Most cost more: The average plan costs $43.96 a month, or $527 a year, based on estimated enrollment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In contrast, almost 40,000 of the people in the SeniorCare program – those with household incomes below $17,424 for one person and $23,536 for two people – pay only a $5 co-pay for generic drugs and $15 for branded drugs, plus a $30 annual enrollment fee…”