Averting a `Transition in Crisis'

Senators and witnesses testifying at the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing took note of the release of a new analysis by the Medicare Rights Center (MRC) titled “MMA and Dual Eligibles: A Transition in Crisis,” which was issued the day before the March 3 hearing.

The MRC called on Congress to “extend Medicaid for a reasonable period during the transition to ensure that there are no catastrophic consequences due to the disruption of drug regimens.”

MRC President Robert Hayes, J.D., noted in a prepared statement announcing the new analysis, “The nearly six-and-a-half million dual eligibles have the unfortunate distinction of being at greatest risk of being harmed by the [Medicare Modernization Act]. They face the likely prospect of losing their comprehensive drug coverage come January 1, 2006.”

Hayes emphasized, “In our view, it is essential that the federal government acts swiftly to ensure that it does not violate the most fundamental principle of health care: do no harm.”

“MMA and Dual Eligibles: A Transition in Crisis” is posted online at<www.medicarerights.org/MMA_duals.pdf>.