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Fall 2005

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	*Medicare Members* *Notice of Credible Coverage* _______________________________________ Schedule G and H participants are advised that the drug benefits provided by Wabash are not actuarially equivalent to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program as defined in the 2003 Medicare Law and therefore do not provide 'credible coverage'. Wabash Schedule G members have the option of keeping their Wabash drug benefit under Schedule G or converting to Schedule H with no defined drug benefit but with a free EHO discount card and access to our Canadian mail order import plan. Members who remain under Benefit Schedule G will not be eligible to enroll in a Part D plan. Generally those utilizing under $8,000 annually of prescription drugs may be better off remaining under Schedule G. Members in Benefit Schedule H will be eligible to join any commercial Medicare Part D drug plan. However, they are advised to check on pricing on specific drugs through EHO or Friends of Wabash by calling Trent or Bob at 1-800-650-1817. Using our Market Basket price comparison, you can compare that with the price quoted through any commercial Part D product to see which is best for you. Members enrolled in a Part D program will not be allowed to take advantage of Canadian imports or negotiated discounts. They will be locked in for a full year to whatever prices that Part D chooses to charge. ------------------------------------------- *Did You Know???* Did you know that the eight most common hospital billing errors are: Duplicate charges, charging for both the admission and discharge day, overcharging on operating room time used, up-coding, keystroke error, cancelled work, services not received and incorrect room charges. Don't let the hospital charge you for (a) a private room if you were in a semi-private room, (b) a brand drug if you received a generic or (c) an hour in the operating room if your anesthesiologist's record shows you were in for forty minutes. Remember it is your bill but all our member's money that pays it. Let's make sure we pay no more than what is right. _________________________________________________
				*Friends of Wabash Vs Medicare Part D*
				You don't have to be Medicare age to take advantage of great savings on drugs - and you don't have to join a Medicare-endorsed plan to do so. Anyone identifying themselves as a "Friend of Wabash" is eligible to participate in the Friends of Wabash drug discount program. Parents, grandparents, neighbors and anyone you know may take advantage of steep discounts negotiated through the Friends of Wabash discount card program, something the Federal Government is not allowed to do under the National program. You will not be steered to, or restricted to, higher priced alternative products that generate huge rebates to the middleman. Being a Friend of Wabash also gives you the option of direct, safer access to international drug pricing - an advantage that is specifically prohibited by any benefit plan promoted through Medicare Part D. If the high cost of drugs is a concern to you, or your friends and family (young or old) check the savings available through Friends of Wabash. * Multiple analyses of the Medicare Drug Benefit have shown that only people who meet "poverty" designation or those who spend huge amounts on Medicare's "covered" drugs ($7,000 or more a year) will find the Part D Medicare Drug Benefit of value - others will pay in more than they get back. *Decatur Outpatient Clinic Announcements* Effective December 1, 2005, our Clinic staff will no longer be making 'reminder' phone calls. Wabash members are exceptionally good about keeping their appointments and it is generally felt that the need for reminder calls is no longer there. A change in the process for calling in both new prescriptions and refills will also become effective December 1, 2005. Prescriptions willb e phoned in between 3PM and 4:30PM daily. In doing so, all the scripts to be phoned to the pharmacies can be done with one call to each pharmacy instead of several calls to each scattered throughout the day. This will make more efficient use of our Clinic staff's time and allow more time to serve our patients. We regret that our Clinic Physician for the past eleven years, Dr. Doug Ellis, will be joining the Rock Springs Family Medical Center effective October 1st. Many members have expressed their sadness upon learning of his departure. The Board of Managers and Administration extend our thanks for his service and wish him well.

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