Education Assists with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Decisions

Need:
The new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan requires Medicare participants to evaluate complex information in order to make the best decision for their situation. This is challenging for numerous reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the product is brand new to all consumers and providers alike. Iowa’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program is the lead agency in providing information and education to Iowa consumers on this topic, but the need is beyond their capacity, and in fact consumers need to hear the information more than once in order to absorb it. Insurance professionals and pharmacists have been involved in this education as well, but Extension educators are better equipped to provide effective unbiased educational programs that address the consumer point of view.

Response:
The Extension Field Specialist expanded on materials provided by SHIIP to create a workshop that included examples and focused on the cost-benefit evaluations involved in any consumer decision. The materials were reviewed by the SHIIP director and then shared with other Extension specialists across the state.

Impact:
Five workshops in four central Iowa counties reached 137 individuals. Participants included people who had already attended one or more workshops on the topic as well as people who were just now starting to learn what they need to know. Participant comments were uniformly positive – one individual reported to a third party that the Extension workshop was the best explanation of the program and consumer decisions which she had received.

Contact:
Barb Wollan
ISU Extension Family Resource Management Specialist
311 Bank Street, Webster City, IA 50595
Phone 515-832-9597; Fax 515-832-9599
Email bwollan@iastate.edu

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