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Regional and State Medicare Population

State Outreach Toolkit for MMA

An important element of the CMS MMA communication strategy is working with State partners. As part of our effort to provide information about the Medicare-Approved Discount Drug Card to State partners, we have developed this outreach kit. The kit was designed to be used by the Regional Offices as they strengthen existing and forge new relationships with State and local agencies that have established networks reaching low-income and hard-to-reach beneficiaries.

CMS leadership has charged the Regions with working closely with key State partners to develop methods of information dissemination. CMS has had great success working closely with such agencies as State Departments of Aging, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), and State Minority Health Offices to reach out to beneficiaries. The Regions have been asked to contact Medicaid and Human Services officials in their States to provide a brief overview of the drug card program and to discuss potential collaboration between CMS and the States to reach beneficiaries. CMS will continue to work with the states on delineating the relationship of the drug card to existing state prescription programs.

When working with your State officials you may also want to share the State Impact Fact Sheets, developed by the Office of Legislation, these can be found on this site. If States would like to get additional copies the materials, they may order via the website by following the directions which are included below in the kit.

Different rules apply to the Medicare-approved drug discount card credit if you live in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands. Each territory is enrolling qualified individuals into its own program to provide extra help to people with Medicare who have low income. For more information, see the questions and answers on www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

• Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card Materials Index (UPDATED): An index of all materials below including filenames and audience information.
  (Zip File - 18 KB)



• Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Fact Sheet: CMS Press Release on the Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card and Transitional Assistance Program. Press Release
  (Web Link)



• Medicare Drug Discount Card Sponsors Press Release: HHS Press Release on the Approval of Drug Card Sponsors.
  (Web Link)



• Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Powerpoint Presentation: Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card and Transitional Assistance Program Overview PowerPoint Presentation. of the Medicare Approved Discount Drug Card.
  (PDF - 435 KB)



• Letter from Secretary Thompson: Letter Providing Overview of New Benefits in Medicare.
  (PDF - 48 KB)



• Discount Drug Card Mailer from Social Security: Letter Providing Overview of Assistance Available Through Drug Card - English & Spanish Language. Approved Drug Discount Card.
  (PDF - 441 KB)



• CMS Online Publication Mailing List Instructions: Instructions for Ordering CMS Publications in Bulk.
  (Word file - 28 KB)



• UPDATED - Medicare Drug Card and Related Materials for State Outreach: List of Drug Card and Related Materials Available for Bulk Order & Fax Order Form.
  (Word file - 24 KB)



• Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Cards Mailer: Overview Bifold of the Discount Drug Card Program Mailed to All Beneficiaries.
  (ENGLISH - Web Link)
  (SPANISH - Web Link)



• Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card Tip Sheet : Guide for People Helping Someone with Medicare Compare Drug Discount Cards.
  (Web Link)



• The Facts about Upcoming New Benefits in Medicare: Overview Fact Sheet of New Benefits to Medicare from MMA - Mailed to All Beneficiaries.
  (Web Link)



• Guide to Choosing a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card: Booklet Describing the Drug Cards, How They Work, and How to Choose a Card.
  (ENGLISH - Web Link)
  (SPANISH - Web Link)



• Enrollment Forms for the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card: Forms for enrollment.
  (Web Link)



• Drug Discount Enrollment Tip Sheet: Tip sheet tells how to enroll for a Medicare-approved drug discount card once you know which card you want.
  (Web Link)



• Facts You Need to Know About Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Cards: Brief Program Description.
  (Web Link)



• 3 Simple Steps to Get A Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card: Step by step instructions on how to enroll.
  (Web Link)