Medicare Monday: Why Part D Extra Help matters for patients like Mateo

For low-income seniors managing multiple chronic conditions, medical expenses can add up. That’s where the Medicare Part D Extra Help program can make a big difference.

As we saw with hypothetical Medicare patient Diane, the Extra Help program provides the assistance she needs to access her medications and remain adherent while helping her avoid costly hospitalizations. Today, we’re sharing Mateo’s story. Mateo is also a hypothetical Medicare patient benefitting from the Extra Help Program.

Nearly 12 million Part D beneficiaries are able to access their needed medications with the assistance of the Extra Help program, and yet there are proposals to change the program – putting low-income patients at risk by limiting their treatment options or forcing changes in treatments. Specifically, patients like Mateo may be disproportionately at risk if changes to the program were enacted. According to recent Kaiser Family Foundation data that look at Medicare beneficiaries by race and ethnicity, larger majorities of black and Hispanic beneficiaries, compared to all Medicare beneficiaries, participate in Extra Help. The program plays an essential role in supporting Medicare’s low-income seniors, especially those in minority communities, and should be left intact.

Learn more at PhRMA.org/PartD.

Download Mateo’s profile as a PDF here.