ST. PAUL, Minn., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Coming on the day of the first public sales of the new Medicare-approved discount cards, the Minnesota Senior Federation’s Expo and 31st Annual Convention will highlight major changes in Medicare and prescription drug costs, with national and state experts and major politicians.
Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA from Washington DC, will present the “Medicare Road Show” at 9:45 a.m. A video narrated by Walter Cronkite explains Medicare legislation adopted by Congress in late 2003. The “Medicare Road Show” will feature important information about the new Medicare Prescription Drug Act as well as a critical look at its benefits and weaknesses. Also participating will be Sen. Mark Dayton, and Dr. Susan Bartlett Foote, division head of the University of Minnesota, Division of Health Services Research & Policy. Rick Kupchella of KARE-TV will moderate. Gov. Tim Pawlenty will also address some of these same issues and Canadian prescription drug importation during a speech to attendees at 1:15 p.m.
Preceding the Medicare Road Show at 8:45 a.m. will be a series of workshops including one on “The New Medicare Drug Discount Card - Much Ado About Nothing?” The workshop will include full information about the discount card that begins open enrollment that day. A panel of representatives from all five of the major health plans in Minnesota, plus Dr. Foote and Peter Wyckoff, executive director of the Senior Federation, will speak about the strengths, weaknesses and confusion surrounding the Medicare-approved discount cards.
Serving over 30,000 people annually, the Minnesota Senior Federation is Minnesota’s premier independent and objective source of health plan information. A major statewide educational campaign on the new Medicare Prescription Drug Act and the new Medicare-approved discount card is now underway. Federation staff, leaders and Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, are available for media interviews before and during the Expo.
EDITORS’ NOTE: To arrange for interview on the Medicare-approveddiscount card or the Medicare Road Show, and for further information, contactPeter Wyckoff
Minnesota Senior Federation
CONTACT: Peter Wyckoff of Minnesota Senior Federation, +1-651-645-0261,Ext. 114, ptwyckoff@mnseniors.org
