AHIP, NACDS, and NCPA Unveil New Medicare Drug Plan Guide - To View the Guide: http://www.heathdecisions.org/guide

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In a coordinated effort to ensure
that seniors make informed health coverage decisions, health insurance
plans and community pharmacists today launched a new national educational
campaign to help Medicare beneficiaries evaluate their prescription drug
plan choices for 2007.

As the centerpiece of this campaign, America's Health Insurance Plans
(AHIP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), and the
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), unveiled a new
interactive Medicare prescription drug plan guide. The guide, Medicare
Prescription Drug Plan Guide: How to Choose Your 2007 Plan, provides
Medicare beneficiaries and their loved ones with an easy-to-use resource to
assist in evaluating their prescription drug plan.

Developed with direct feedback from seniors, the guide uses a unique
color-coded system to help beneficiaries choose the specific plan that best
meets their individual needs. This comprehensive guide educates seniors
about Medicare prescription drug coverage, examines their personal
priorities and preferences, and helps them navigate through the different
plan options.

"Health insurance plans and pharmacists are committed to providing
seniors with the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions,"
said Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, of AHIP. "While every survey shows
that seniors are highly satisfied with their current coverage, choices
available in the coming year could mean that some seniors need extra help
in evaluating the new options to find the plan that best meets their needs
-- this guide will help them do that."

"We are pleased to participate in this very important educational
effort to help Medicare beneficiaries choose a Part D plan that is best for
them," said Robert W. Hannan, President and CEO of NACDS. "So many Medicare
beneficiaries turn to their community pharmacist for advice in choosing a
plan, and this guide will give the pharmacist another tool in helping
Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers reach this objective."

"Millions of seniors and their families look to their community
pharmacist to help them sort through their Medicare options," said Douglas
Hoey, RPh, MBA, NCPA Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. "As
we approach the new plan year, we're glad to have this guide available to
help our patients pick the prescription drug plan that best suits their
needs and provides ready access to their medications and the expert advice
of their community pharmacist."

The guide will be distributed nationwide to local pharmacists, chain
drug stores, Congressional district offices, and State Health Insurance
Program (SHIP) offices and will be available online at
http://www.heathdecisions.org/guide. The NACDS Foundation has contributed
resources for this educational tool. Health care professionals and local
pharmacists can use this guide to provide much needed educational
assistance to seniors who are evaluating their current prescription drug
plans and making decisions about future coverage.

This campaign is the latest in a series of collaborative efforts
between health insurers and pharmacists to improve the Medicare
prescription drug benefit for seniors and providers. Recently, AHIP, NACDS,
and NCPA worked together to simplify and standardize the electronic claims
processing messages going from plan sponsors to pharmacies and along with
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the formation of
the Pharmacy Quality Alliance to set standards for quality that can lead to
better patient outcomes.

America's Health Insurance Plans - Providing Health Benefits to More
Than 200 Million Americans

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898 as the
National Association of Retail Druggists, represents the nation's community
pharmacists, including the owners of more than 24,000 pharmacies. The
nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and
independent chains dispense nearly half of the nation's retail prescription
medicines.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) represents the
nation's leading retail chain pharmacies and suppliers, helping them better
meet the changing needs of their patients and customers. Chain pharmacies
operate more than 37,000 pharmacies, employ 114,000 pharmacists, fill more
than 2.3 billion prescriptions yearly, and have annual sales of nearly $700
billion.

SOURCE America's Health Insurance Plans

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Related links:

http://www.ahip.org

http://www.heathdecisions.org/guide

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