Watch Medicare Part D Video Online

On November 14, 2006, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, through its Broadcast Studio in Washington, D.C., offered an hour-long video webcast presentation entitled "Ask the Experts: Open Enrollment for Medicare Part D".

Panelists discussed "how plan choices are changing, how the process is going for beneficiaries and what they should think about when making drug coverage decisions." The presentation remains available for multi-media computer viewing at any time via the internet.

The four speakers for this panel discussion included:

• Larry Levitt -- Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Editor-in-Chief of KaiserNetwork
• Leslie Norwalk, Esq. -- Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Judith Stein, Esq. -- Executive Director, Center for Medicare Advocacy
• Juliette Cubanski, Ph.D., M.P.P., M.P.H. -- Principal Policy Analyst, Medicare Policy Project of the Kaiser Family Foundation

The presentation is available online here, both in webcast and podcast downloads. That website promises that a "transcript of this webcast will be available soon."

This presentation is one of various resources that the KFF made available about Medicare drug benefits in advance of the open enrollment period for 2007, which began on November 15, 2006, and will run until December 31, 2006.

According to KFF website, found here, its other current resources include:

• a report assessing changes to Medicare drug plans for 2007
  
• state-specific information about drug benefit plan options
• an updated version of the online consumer guide, Talking About Medicare
• an updated fact sheet providing an overview of the drug benefit.

Other useful online resources are available on the Medicare website published by the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, including:

• "Tips and Tools for People with Medicare and Those Who Care for Them",
• "Prescription Drug Coverage"

The Family Doctor offers a list of other reliable online resources here.

Still, I think that watching the KFF video would be the most fun. Why not watch it for your "Movie Night" some Friday evening? (yea, right)


Update on 12/20/06:

I found two additional videos that you could select for "movie night" about Medicare Part "D" Prescription Drug Coverage.

Check out these additional selections online:

• Deadline Looming for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit -- The deadline is looming for seniors to take action about their Medicare prescription drug plans. Open enrollment for 2007 coverage ends December 31. Medicare beneficiaries who have not yet signed up for the drug benefit can do so, and current enrollees can change to a new drug plan if they find one that better suits their needs.
  

• Medicare Part D Sign-Up Deadline -- A public service announcement, featuring former Senator John Breaux, is reminding people to sign up to take advantage of Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage between now and December 31.