Lessons Learned: ABCs Experience in Helping Beneficiaries with Low Incomes

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Lessons Learned ABCs Experience in Helping
Beneficiaries with Low Incomes

• Marisa Scala-Foley
• Associate Director, ABC
• Joint Conference on Aging
• March 9, 2005

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ABC is working to find prescription drug savings
for those who need them most

• The Access to Benefits Coalition (ABC) includes
  hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the
  nation that share a commitment to helping
  Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomes find
  the best combination of public and private
  prescription savings programs they need to
  maintain their health and improve the quality of
  their lives.

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ABC Objectives

• Create a nationwide infrastructure that will
  maximize the enrollment of lower income seniors
  in the Transitional Assistance program and in
  related benefits in 2004-2005, and in Part D
  benefits in the longer term
• By the end of 2008, at least 8 million
  lower-income beneficiaries will have enrolled in
  Medicare Part D low-income subsidy programs
• By 2012, at least 12 million will have enrolled

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ABC works in hundreds of communities across the
nation and on the Web

• ABC includes 98 national members, and hundreds of
  local, community-based nonprofit organizations in
  57 communities in 37 States.
• 57 Local and Statewide ABC Coalitions target the
  most populated cities, rural and suburban areas
  (see map)
• ABC members are trusted, credible grassroots
  resources that provide 1-on-1 counseling,
  education, and enrollment assistance to Medicare
  beneficiaries with lower incomes to help them
  find the assistance that they need.

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57 ABC Coalitions Nationwide
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ABCs trusted on-the-ground resources coupled
with web-based technology closes the deal
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ABC Decision Support Tools

• ABC decision-support tools
• www.accesstobenefits.org
• BenefitsCheckUpRx, version 2.0
• Simplified Medicare Card Finder
• Seamless on-line enrollment through CMS online
  Enrollment Center
• on-line access to hundreds of application forms
• E-forms (fillable PDFs)

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Lessons learned Barriers to enrollment

• Once a consumer forms negative attitudes, it is
  difficult to convince them to take action
• For example, research shows that many
  lower-income Medicare beneficiaries were
• Confused
• Not very impressed with 600 savings
• Not convinced the benefit is worth applying for
• Skeptical about the new benefits Dont believe
  that that they will qualify and/or get them
• These attitudes formed despite the fact that, by
  selecting the right card, the average Medicare
  beneficiary will actually save about 2,100 in
  2005

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Lessons learned Finding and enrolling
beneficiaries

• Finding and enrolling low-income Medicare
  beneficiaries is time-consuming and hard work!
• Outreach and education only goes so
  farlow-income consumers often need a great deal
  of hands on assistance to make decisions and to
  complete and submit application forms.
• To be successful, we need trusted local
  intermediaries that are ready, willing and able
  to spend time one-on-one with beneficiaries to
  help them make decisions and to enroll.

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Lessons learned Tools and technology

• Intermediaries and consumers need a variety of
  decision support and enrollment tools to make
  their jobs easier and to address individual needs
  and circumstances. Intermediaries should be
  empowered to use whatever tools and approaches
  will work best for them and their clients. 
• We should maximize the use of technology.
  Integrated systems can play a critical role in
  quick and efficient enrollment of beneficiaries
  into prescription savings programs. (List
  strategies, decision support tools, online
  enrollment, pre-populated application forms.)

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Lessons learned In-reach

• In-reach the use of existing lists of
  low-income program enrollees can be as
  important, if not more important, than
  traditional outreach strategies for reaching
  eligible beneficiaries. Both the public and
  private sectors have helpful lists.
• Community-based organizations can most
  cost-effectively enroll beneficiaries when
  likely-eligible consumers are driven to them
  through list-driven/in-reach strategies or media
  stories.

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Lessons learned Social marketing and messages

• We need to find the right mix of awareness
  building, education, decision-support and
  enrollment.
• We need clear and compelling messages that
  motivate consumers to take action.
• Even the most targeted messages will attract
  consumers who are not eligible for the
  subsidiesstrategies are needed to help them as
  well.
• We need coordinated distribution of messages by
  public and private sectors through a wide variety
  of channels and venues.

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Building an evidence base

• We need an evidence base about cost effective
  strategies for finding and enrolling
  beneficiaries
• There is much that can be learned from the ABC
  and other experience during this interim period
• Others include CMS/Ogilvy subcontractors, SHIPs,
  Medicare Today and more
• With funding from Atlantic Philanthropies, ABC
  and The Bridgespan Group are working together to
  benchmark the most cost-effective strategies for
  community-based outreach, education, decision
  support and enrollment strategies
• End result Development and dissemination of
  Report to the Nation on Maximizing Low-income
  Enrollment in Medicare Part D

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Join us

• Help us get the word out to Medicare
  beneficiaries with lower incomes that there are
  ways to save money on prescription drugs, right
  now!
• Get to know your local ABC Coalition.
• BenefitsCheckUpRx and Medicare Card Finder are on
  the Web and are available to anyone, anywhere,
  anytime!
• Lets look to the future and figure out ways to
  work together on Medicare Part D enrollment.