CARxE Volunteer Network Launched to Help Seniors Choose Drug Plans - Only Web site that allows seniors to compare plans and save search results

Only Web site that allows seniors to compare plans and save search results,CARxE Volunteer Network Launched to Help Seniors Choose Drug Plans

Washington, DC (PRWEB) December 15, 2005 -- The Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education (CARxE) announced today that the CARxE Benefit Gateway is now available at www.carxe.org. The CARxE Benefit Gateway is identical in content to the official prescription drug plan comparison tool currently being used by seniors on www.medicare.gov, except for one additional functionality: seniors and their caregivers can save searches created on the CARxE Benefit Gateway. The CARxE Benefit Gateway is complimented by a coalition of volunteers to assist seniors with their enrollment decisions. The site also includes a detailed slide presentation on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit and advice on what to consider when choosing a plan.

Industry experience with the Medicare Drug Discount Card Program showed that, for seniors, drug program enrollment is an important family decision that does not happen in one sitting. On average, seniors filled out four forms for every one they completed when enrolling last year. Seniors cited lack of personal contact, not cost or confusion, as the most important factor in deciding not to enroll. The CARxE Benefit Gateway was designed to address these challenges so that seniors and their families can take their time and make the most informed decision. Because the CARxE Benefit Gateway allows searches to be saved, seniors only need to enter their medications once. It also gives volunteers and families a free, comprehensive and impartial tool to help personalize the decision process.

“Enrollment in the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit doesn’t have to be a quick decision. Take your time, enter your drugs into the Gateway, then print out the results and talk with your doctor, children, insurance agent, friend, or one of our volunteers,” said David Pauker, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, CARxE. “Not every senior should sign up for the Medicare prescription drug benefit, but everyone should have the opportunity to make an informed decision.”

As with the plan comparison tool on www.medicare.gov, all information on the CARxE Benefit Gateway is impartial and plan-neutral. Both plan comparison tools were created by DestinationRx. The CARxE Gateway was created with permission from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and made possible by donations from industry partners. Neither CARxE nor DestinationRx receive any form of residuals or fees from seniors that are enrolled through www.carxe.org or by volunteers at the CARxE call center.

“We’ll measure our success not by the number of seniors who enroll, but by the number of seniors we help to make informed decisions. As senior advocates, we learned a lot from last year’s enrollment in Medicare’s Discount Prescription Drug Card program. We’re combining the official plan comparison tool with personal contact provided by our coalition of volunteers to help seniors find the plan that matches their needs,” said Dr. Mearle L. Griffith, Chief Executive Office, CARxE and President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries.

About CARxE
The Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education (CARxE) is a not-for-profit independent coalition. CARxE provides education for seniors on health care options by giving trusted sources such as family, caregivers, doctors, pharmacists, hospitals and clergy with unbiased educational resources. CARxE presents impartial and neutral information about the Medicare program including enrollment information and comparison of all of the plans available in each state and their costs. More information is available at www.carxe.org.

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