From the Office of Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch
Senior citizens often face tough decisions about purchasing prescription drugs and other health-related merchandise. Unfortunately, some companies are taking advantage of the complex choices facing elderly Minnesotans by selling useless or inaccurate information about the marketplace for health products or services.
Consumers should be wary of solicitations asking for money for information about health insurance, prescription drugs, Medicare, Social Security or other “senior benefits.” These solicitations sometimes advertise services that are of little use to Minnesota seniors, or they sell information on government grants and programs which are available free of charge through government agencies. The following are examples of such solicitations:
o One mailing to a Minnesota senior mentioned a nonexistent “new law” in Congress that supposedly allows seniors to order their prescriptions directly from Canada;
o A mailing to a northeastern Minnesota senior promoted the sale of an informational book that allegedly contains information to help senior citizens access free benefits and other financial assistance from the federal government;
o Reported telephone solicitations to several Minnesota seniors marketed supposed private prescription drug discount programs. Consumers found that the program did not work in conjunction with co-pays, that the discounts received under the program did not surpass the cost of program, and that local pharmacies were not necessarily participating in the program.
If you receive solicitations that you think may be deceptive or fraudulent, contact the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office as follows:
Office of Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch, 1400 NCL Tower, 445 Minnesota Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, phone number (651) 296-3353 or (800) 657-3787, TTY: (651) 297-7206 or (800) 366-4812, Web site
Citizens can also obtain information on government programs from the following agencies:
o Minnesota Board on Aging (Senior LinkAge Line). The Senior LinkAge Line can provide information for seniors and their families concerning prescription drug programs, health insurance counseling and other important information. It can be reached as follows:
Minnesota Board on Aging, 444 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155-3843, (800) 882-6262, Web site:
o Medicare and the Social Security Administration. Questions about coverage, benefits and other issues concerning Medicare and Social Security can be posed to the agencies themselves.
o Food and Drug Administration. The Federal Food and Drug Administration enforces laws concerning the importation of prescription medications from other countries, including Canada, and can be reached as follows:
Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857-0001, (888) 463-6332
o Minnesota Department of Commerce. The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates insurance companies under Minnesota law and can be reached as follows:
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Suite 500, 85 East Seventh Place, St. Paul, MN 55101, (651) 296-2488 or (800) 657-3602.
The Commerce Department also has information available on the Minnesota Comprehen-sive Health Association (MCHA), which offers Medicare supplemental coverage to those not eligible to purchase this type of coverage in the private marketplace.
o The Minnesota Department of Human Services. The Minnesota Department of Human Services administers a Senior Drug Program that helps people age 65 and older pay for prescription drugs. If you qualify, you pay only the first $35 of your prescription drug costs each month. To qualify, a family of one must earn no more than $879 per month and have a maximum of $10,000 in assets. A family of two must earn no more than $1,181 per month and have a maximum of $18,000 in assets. The Department of Human Services also administers Medicare supplement programs that help pay Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments. The income and asset limits for those programs are currently $1,273 per month and $10,000 for a family of one, and $1,714 per month and $18,000 for a family of two. For further information, you can contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services as follows:
Minnesota Department of Human Services, 444 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155, (651) 296-8517 or (800) 657-3659