Jeff City View

Senior prescription program helps Missourians

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and I want to encourage you to take a moment to help a senior in your life. I have talked with Lt. Gov. Kinder about ways to help our seniors, and we agree that the Missouri Senior Rx is a valuable program. But I have discovered that thousands of qualified seniors are not signed up for these benefits. Our seniors have the opportunity to possibly save over half on their medicine. I urge senior advocates, the faith community, anyone with an elderly parent, relative or friend, to reach out a hand and help enroll eligible seniors before the February 28th deadline. Applications are available at most pharmacies in Missouri.

Missouri seniors who want to save money on their medicine have until the end of February to enroll in the Missouri Senior Rx Program. The four-year-old state drug program helps thousands of limited-income seniors save over half on their medicine.

Lavina Felger, 84, is about to re-enroll in Missouri Senior Rx. Recently, she told us why. "Before Senior Rx, my heart tablets used to be $56, now I get them for $26. Coreg, my blood pressure pill, used to be $130. Now it's $22.16. The price of my medicine's been cut in half with Missouri Senior Rx."

I know thousands of other seniors could use relief from the high cost of prescription drugs and don't know the Missouri Senior Rx Program exists, or have confused it with the new Medicare drug plan.

Missouri Senior Rx provides prescription relief for Missouri's seniors right here, right now.

The Medicare plan won't go into effect until 2006.

More than 17,000 Missouri seniors currently benefit from this excellent program. Almost 20 percent, or 3,200 seniors, have already signed up for the program's next plan year that begins in July. These seniors trust the program and know firsthand the money they are saving on their medicine.

Real people, saving real money.

To qualify for the Missouri Senior Rx Program, an individual must be 65 or older with an annual income of up to $17,000 for an individual and $23,000 for a married couple.

For more information, or to request an application, contact the Missouri Senior Rx Program toll-free at (800) 375-1406, or visit the Web site at: www.dhss.mo.gov/MoSeniorRx.

You can also visit the lieutenant governor's Web site at www.ltgov.mo.gov any time you need information regarding state services for our veterans, tourism, low-income housing or senior services and programs.

Government works best when it works together.

I want to join with Lt. Gov. Kinder to urge you to check out the benefits and savings available to Missouri seniors through the Missouri Senior Rx Program.

Contact Barney Fisher's office at (800) 382-4123 or (573) 751-5388 or write: Representative Barney Fisher, State Capitol, Room 201B, Jefferson City, MO 65101.