The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare (Medicare Part D), beginning on January 1, 2006. Medicares elderly and disabled beneficiaries can enroll in private plans that contract with Medicare to provide the drug benefit.People on Medicare can obtain the Medicare drug benefitthrough two types of private plans. Beneficiaries can join a prescription drug plan (PDP) for drug coverage only and get their other Medicare benefits through the fee-for-service program, as the majority of people with Medicare currently do. Alternatively they can join a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, such as an HMO or regional PPO, that covers drugs and all other Medicare benefits. Private plans can operate in one or more of 34 PDP regions and 26 MA regions nationwide.
For more information, visit Kaiser''s Resources on the Medicare Drug Benefit, available at http://www.kff.org/medicare/rxdrugbenefit.cfm.

Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Part D Plan Characteristics, October 2007. Available at http://www.kff.org/medicare/rxdrugbenefit.cfm.

PDPs: Prescription Drug Plans.

Low-Income Subsidy Eligible: Refers to plans (i.e. benefit packages) that have no additional premium when the full low-income subsidy is applied. These plans are eligible for auto-enrollment of dual eligibles.

Generics only includes plans covering all generics, all preferred generics, or some generics.

Brand and generic includes plans covering: all formulary drugs; all generics and all brands; all generics and all preferred brands; all generics and some brands; all preferred generics and all preferred brands; all preferred generics and some brands; or some generics and some brands.