Former U.S. Senator John Breaux, chairman of the Medicare Rx Education Network, made the following statement today regarding the release of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s survey on beneficiary perspectives before implementation Medicare drug benefit:

"The Kaiser survey underscores an important point that the Medicare Rx Network is working hard to address: Medicare beneficiaries need to be educated about the new prescription benefit.

"People on Medicare will become more familiar with the program and comfortable with the options as they review the details of the plans. There is a lot of information available and places to go to locally for help with one-on-one counseling. Thousands of education and outreach events will take place nationwide in the coming weeks. With personalized help, people in Medicare will get educated, feel reassured and confidently make informed decisions.

"No one can be expected to sign up for something they don't understand. I am confident that as Medicare beneficiaries learn more about the details of the plans, they will understand the program and sign up for this new benefit."

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Medicare’s plan finder and the other tools are available at www.Medicare.gov. For more information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, visit www.Medicare.gov or www.MedicareRxEducation.org.

The Medicare Rx Education Network provides information and assistance with outreach and enrollment for the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The network, which includes 70 national organizations, is chaired by former U.S. Senator John Breaux. Members share an interest in educating Medicare beneficiaries about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and will work closely with the appropriate federal agencies to obtain up-to-date information to ensure that information disseminated by the network about Medicare Part D is factual and accurately conveyed, thereby pre-empting confusion about the benefit and equipping beneficiaries and their caregivers to make informed choices. By sharing information with each other about member organizations’ independent efforts, collaborating on activities, and identifying ways to work together, the network aims to eliminate duplication of efforts and maximize the effectiveness of outreach efforts. The network does not engage in legislative activities or take positions on pending legislative or administrative policies related to the Part D benefit and its implementation.