New Medicare law threatens half of recipients

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From: Families USA <HealthAction@...>Sent: Oct 21, 2004 9:26 PMjayneadler@...Subject: New Medicare law threatens half of recipientsDear Jayne,As implementation of the new Medicare law looms on the horizon,seniors grow more disappointed when they learn about the changes thislaw will bring about. Yet an analysis of the law recentlyperformed by Families USA shows that the new program will not merelybe a matter of disappointment. Our review demonstrates thatapproximately half of America & #8217;s Medicare beneficiaries are atrisk of being worse off than they are today.http://www.familiesusa.org/site/R?i=FRSagGs6xQsDRYvcWDDmjg..Under the new law, approximately half of America & #8217;s seniors andpeople with disabilities are at risk of losing the health coveragebenefits that they had before. They may lose drug coverage altogether,lose access to needed drugs, have higher out-of-pocket costs for theirmedicines, find their retiree coverage scaled back, or enjoy fewerconsumer protections. As a result, many seniors and people withdisabilities will experience temporary or long-term reductions in thecare that is vital to their health. Those at risk of being worse offinclude the following:* Approximately 6.4 million "dual eligibles" & #8212;low-incomepeople who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid;* Approximately 13 million Medicare beneficiaries who currentlyhave retiree drug coverage from their previous employers; and* Approximately 4.7 million seniors who are currently enrolled inMedicare managed care plans.Click here to download the new report. For more information on the newMedicare law, visit the Medicare Central page of our Web site or checkout our online Medicare Calculator. http://www.familiesusa.org/site/R?i=6UJ_XxC_vw4DRYvcWDDmjg..http://www.familiesusa.org/site/R?i=eery4HXHkBsDRYvcWDDmjg..http://www.familiesusa.org/site/R?i=Wl2HdPMp0ZQDRYvcWDDmjg..HELP US SPREAD THE WORD: To forward this message to a friend orcolleague, click here. http://www.familiesusa.org/site/R?i=pUtVlPsh3WMDRYvcWDDmjg..To unsubscribe from all future email, paste the following URL into your browser:http://www.familiesusa.org/site/CO?i=xj3rh4Vkk1r7aRTPNtlTPY8uFizeWeKm