MEDICARE'S PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM COMMENCES IN NOVEMBER - A Challenge For Rural Seniors

(09/01/2005)

The November start date for enrollment in Medicare's prescription drug programs approaches. West Virginia seniors are being challenged not only to understand the plans, but to complete enrollment. There are bigger problems for seniors in rural areas like Calhoun, because seniors are more likely to not have the transportation, telephone or Internet access their urban counterparts enjoy. It is an information gap. "You can give them a www.whatever all day long, but they won't have any way to get there," said Kayce James, who is talking with Roane County seniors. "When you're out in the rural areas, it really is a big difference." James has been giving programs around Roane County to help seniors understand what they need to do. Linda Calvert directs West Virginia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a program which answers Medicare questions. Calvert says each county has at least one SHIP counselor at the local senior center. SHIP Counselors communicate with people through presentations and face-to-face meetings.

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