Dear HRSA Grantee:

Changes in the Medicare program will soon take place that will have a great impact on you and the many clients you serve. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the lead on the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), and we at HRSA are partnering with CMS to provide relevant information to HRSA grantees, safety-net providers and their clients.

Beginning in 2006, the MMA makes prescription drug coverage available to all 43 million Medicare beneficiaries. This important new benefit will help beneficiaries in paying for their prescription drugs. The law also lets Medicare -- for the first time in the program's 40-year history -- provide additional help to those in greatest need, especially beneficiaries with very high prescription drug costs and people with low incomes.

The law also creates new Prescription Drug Plans which may have a significant impact on the reimbursements you receive for Medicare clients. Some details about this are included at What Safety Net Providers Need to Know and Do.

Our primary concern for the Medicare beneficiaries you serve is that they continue receiving the medications they need to stay healthy. We also want to help CMS implement this new prescription drug option as smoothly as possible. In the coming months, HRSA, along with other Federal agencies, will take part in a massive education outreach effort. We will work with CMS to ensure you have the most current information so that you can assist your Medicare patients in making the best choices in meeting their prescription drug needs.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth M. Duke
Administrator