Novartis and Merck will offer prescription drugs for a small fee for Medicare beneficiaries

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Novartis and Merck will offer prescription drugs for a small fee for

Medicare beneficiaries

16 Apr 2004

Novartis and Merck, two large pharmaceutical companies, said they are going

to offer their prescription medicines for a small fee to Medicare

beneficiaries after they have used up their $600 Medicare credit. This will

only apply to lowest income people.

Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services, said ³Starting next month, Medicare beneficiaries who need the

most help will be able to enroll in the Medicare-endorsed drug discount card

program and also receive a $600 credit this year and again next year.

³We are pleased that Novartis has taken a positive step to add support to

this critically needed assistance by providing its prescription drugs for a

small fee for beneficiaries who use up their $600. Merck recently announced

a similar program that would add to the new drug assistance for low-income

beneficiaries, and we hope and expect that other companies will offer

similar add-on assistance programs.

³This additional assistance means that it is even more important for

beneficiaries with limited incomes who need help with drug costs to sign up

for a Medicare-endorsed discount card next month²

McClellan added ³The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its

partners are reaching out to the older Americans and people with

disabilities who have incomes below $12,569 or married couples below $16,862

to make sure they take advantage of these valuable programs.

³Medicare¹s toll free hotline, 1-800-MEDICARE, and website,

www.medicare.gov, are one-stop shops for people to learn how they can take

advantage of the new $600 credit, as well as state assistance programs in 20

states and over 100 manufacturer programs.

³All of these steps amount to the best opportunities ever provided for

seniors and persons with disabilities who have the most difficulty paying

for drugs to get relief right away.²

Medicare beneficiaries will be able to enrol into a discount card program on

May 3rd this year. They will be able to use their cards (for discounts) as

from June 1st.