Medicare partners will have additional resources available to help them inform and educate people about the new prescription drug coverage, including a new Prescription Drug Plan Finder, well before enrollment begins on November 15. Soon, beneficiaries and their family members will be able to use these tools to make better decisions about their Medicare drug coverage.

“We are working with our 140 community-based networks and nearly 10,000 partners, and we are providing many different ways for people with Medicare to get help, as they take steps toward getting prescription drug coverage in the weeks ahead,” said Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator. “People do not need to make a decision now – they can’t sign up for a plan for another month and they can get coverage on January 1 as long as they enroll by December 31, 2005. As we get closer to the time to enroll, the new tools will help people make those decisions.”

The Prescription Drug Plan Finder, available at www.medicare.gov, is just one of the new resources CMS is now using to help train local partners, such as the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, senior centers, faith-based organizations and others who will be assisting beneficiaries in learning more about and enrolling in drug plans later this year. The tool will ask questions based on the coverage beneficiaries have now to provide them with tailored plan comparison information based on what is most important to them, including cost, coverage and convenience. Beneficiaries can also get personalized information on particular plans that they think may be a good fit for them. Medicare beneficiaries who don’t use the Internet will be able to get the same information by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

The Plan Finder will ultimately let people check to see if they qualify for extra help paying for a Medicare drug plan, if their employer or union is continuing their current drug coverage or if they are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or other Medicare Health Plan or in a Medicare drug plan. As of today, not all of the data is in the plan finder, since the deadline for many employers to submit their applications is Oct. 31 and some applications for those beneficiaries applying for extra help have not been finalized. Drug plans may also update their price and other benefit information as the enrollment period draws closer.

Visit the CMS website for more information on Medicare Prescription Drug Program, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/partnerships/default.asp

HHS Releases Pandemic Influenza Plan

Date: November 2, 2005
For Release: Immediately
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

Plan Provides Guidance to Prepare Nation's Health Care System for a Pandemic

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today released the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan, a detailed guide for how our nation's health care system can prepare and respond to an influenza pandemic. The HHS plan is the medical and public health component of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, announced by the President yesterday.

"An influenza pandemic would test our nation's health care system as never before, and this plan anticipates the specific problems we will face and recommends solutions to better protect the American people," Secretary Leavitt said. "A pandemic will cause disease outbreaks in many different communities all at the same time making State and local preparedness so important in saving lives."

· The HHS plan specifies four major components of preparedness and response to pandemic influenza.
· Intensifying surveillance and collaborating on containment measures -- both international and domestic;
· Stockpiling of antivirals and vaccines and working with industry to expand capacity for production of these medical countermeasures;

· Creating a seamless network of Federal, state and local preparedness, including increasing health care surge capacity; and

· Developing the public education and communications efforts so critical to keeping the public informed.

The HHS plan also provides guidance to state and local partners on topics including: staffing and supplies required for a surge in patients; distribution of vaccines and antiviral drugs -- particularly when they are in short supply; roles and responsibilities for decision makers in a community; and measures to control infection and limit the spread of disease. The final plan reflects input and comments received after a draft plan was published in the Federal Register in August 2004.

On Tuesday, President Bush announced an aggressive $7.1 billion national strategy to safeguard against the danger of pandemic influenza. The request included $6.7 billion in additional 2006 appropriations for HHS. Approximately $4.7 billion would go toward investments in creating vaccine production capacity and stockpiles, $1.4 billion to stockpile antiviral drugs, and $555 for surveillance, public health infrastructure, and communications, including $100 million for state and local preparedness.

"The preparations we make for a pandemic today will have lasting benefits for public health and for our ability to be better prepared for any emergency, whether it's deadly virus or another public health emergency," Secretary Leavitt said.

The plan can be found online at www.pandemicflu.gov.

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