CVS Partners with CMS to Broaden Outreach to Low Income Consumers Eligible for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
May 02 2005 - 12:33PM
PR Newswire (US)
CVS Partners with CMS to Broaden Outreach to Low Income Consumers
Eligible for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Company Supports
Government's Initiative to Reach Out to Over 8 Million Eligible
Individuals by 2006 WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- CVS/pharmacy (NYSE: CVS), America's largest retail pharmacy,
today announced it has partnered with The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) to help enroll the over 8 million low
income individuals eligible for the government subsidized Medicare
prescription drug benefit that takes effect January 1, 2006. CVS
will work with CMS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to
target low-income seniors and persons with disabilities eligible
for this program who will not be automatically enrolled by CMS and
the Social Security Administration. CVS will launch outreach
programs designed to both enroll these individuals and help educate
them about the new Medicare drug program. "We are pleased to
partner with CMS to help reach out to those individuals that need
this benefit the most. As America's largest retail pharmacy with
over 5,400 stores across 36 states, we have interaction with over 4
million customers a day, many of whom are eligible for these
significant savings. We will work with CMS to conduct education and
enrollment activities, especially in markets where the majority of
low-income beneficiaries reside," commented Tom Ryan, Chairman,
President and CEO of CVS Corporation. "Seniors place a great deal
of trust in their pharmacist, so it's vital that Medicare work with
valued partners such as CVS to make sure all Medicare
beneficiaries, including those with low incomes, can make the most
of the drug coverage coming available in 2006," said CMS
Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. About CVS CVS is
America's largest retail pharmacy, operating more than 5,400 retail
and specialty pharmacy stores in 36 states and the District of
Columbia. With more than 40 years of dynamic growth in the retail
pharmacy industry, CVS is committed to being the easiest pharmacy
retailer for customers to use. CVS has created innovative
approaches to serve the healthcare needs of all customers through
its CVS/pharmacy stores; its online pharmacy, CVS.com; and its
pharmacy benefit management and specialty pharmacy subsidiary,
PharmaCare. General information about CVS is available through the
Investor Relations portion of the Company's website, at
http://investor.cvs.com/, as well as through the pressroom portion
of the Company's website, at http://www.cvs.com/pressroom. CONTACT:
Eileen Howard Dunn VP, Corporate Communications CVS/pharmacy
401-770-4561 Todd Andrews Director, Corporate Communications
CVS/pharmacy 401-770-5717 DATASOURCE: CVS/pharmacy CONTACT: Eileen
Howard Dunn, VP, Corporate Communications, +1-401-770- 4561, or
Todd Andrews, Director, Corporate Communications, +1-401-770-5717
both of CVS/pharmacy Web site: http://www.cvs.com/pressroom
http://www.cvs.com/
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