Elder Law News

Attorney General & CWAG Elder Law Center Launch Medicare D Watch

Campaign to shed light on Medicare Part D abuses, problems

Madison— Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and Helen Marks Dicks, Director of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups’ Elder Law Center announced today the creation of a joint effort to combat the growing number of Medicare Part D scams and coverage problems affecting seniors who have enrolled or who are trying to enroll in the federal government’s new prescription drug program.

The joint effort, called Medicare D Watch, is a statewide project to uncover fraudulent practices and coverage problems with the new Medicare Part D program and to help seniors who have been hurt as a result.

“This new drug plan can be confusing, which could make Medicare beneficiaries vulnerable to exploitation,” Lautenschlager said. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice aggressively enforces the law against those who would exploit seniors – and we will be watching those who attempt to take advantage of the new system.”

Questionable activities range from deceptive sales practices such as enrolling a Medicare beneficiary, without his or her knowledge, into a more expensive Medicare Advantage plan rather than a Medicare Part D plan to problems resulting from Part D plans changing their formularies without notice.

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	Did You Know?
	Medicaid does not provide medical assistance for all poor persons. Even under the broadest provisions of the Federal statute (except for emergency services for certain persons), the Medicaid program does not provide health care services, even for very poor persons, unless they are in one of the designated eligibility groups. Low income is only one test for Medicaid eligibility; assets and resources are also tested against established thresholds.