Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: November 23, 2005
Contact: Sharon Marable, MD, MPH, Assistant Medical Director, Division of Disease Prevention and Control (401-222-5353)

New Website for RI Healthcare Providers on Medicare Part D

Today, the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) launched a new website to help healthcare providers, such as physicians and pharmacists, navigate the various aspects of Medicare Part D. Using this website, healthcare providers can obtain information on what to say to their patients, helpful handouts for patients, and a list of Rhode Island Medicare Part D community forums organized by the Department of Elderly Affairs.

“This new website can help providers learn more about Medicare Part D and respond more effectively to their patients’ questions,” said David Gifford, MD, MPH, Director of the RI Department of Health . “It organizes professional information from the national and local websites into a place that affords providers easy and convenient access.”

The website ( http://www.health.ri.gov/medicare) provides the following information:

• Basic facts on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, including all official information on the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
• Tools to help healthcare providers advise patients on the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, including guidance on what to say to patients and handouts to give to patients.
• Descriptions of the two basic options for Rhode Island Prescription Drug Plans: The Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDP), which offer only prescription drug coverage, and the Medicare Advantage Plans which offer prescription drug coverage as a part of a the health plan.
• Additional resources for healthcare providers including office toolkits and on-line CME courses.

According to Sharon Marable, MD, MPH, Assistant Medical Director and the department’s lead for the Medicare Part D professional website, “We want to do anything we can to support key health professionals through this transition to Medicare Part D. We expect future resources to include formularies (plan-approved drug lists) for the local Prescription Drug Plans and support materials for providers who manage the health care for special populations, such as HIV/AIDS patients.”

For more information about implementation of Medicare Part D in RI, go to the Department of Elderly Affairs website at www.dea.ri.gov.