Special Session Update
In order to ensure an efficient session, the Senate agreed to work on the jobs bills while the House worked on each of the others. Last Thursday, House committees met and on Friday, the full House debated them on the floor. With overwhelming bipartisan agreement, the House passed bills that will do the following:
- Move the presidential primary from February to March to ensure compliance with national party rules. The move will ensure that Missouri will not lose delegates and representation at the national conventions next summer. [HB3]
- End a 150-year policy of state control over the St. Louis Police Department. The bill will ensure more accountability by returning control of the department to elected officials accountable to voters instead of individuals appointed by the governor. [HB1]
- Tap the Rainy Day Fund to provide funding for areas of the state affected by disasters. Not only will the fund, which was designed for this purpose, provide relief to disaster affected areas, but it will hopefully put an end to the governor’s unconstitutional practice of withholding funds from schools to pay for this recovery. [HB6]
- Provide property tax relief to businesses destroyed by disaster. State law currently requires businesses to pay full property tax even if they are ruined in disasters. The bill will allow those businesses destroyed by the storms to receive a tax reduction for those months that their businesses were destroyed. [HB2]
In the District
Medicare Part D Enrollment Meetings
Save the Date: Representatives from the CLAIM organization will be available to assist Medicare eligible citizens to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription plan for 2012 in Springfield. CLAIM is a statewide program that provides free, confidential and unbiased health insurance counseling to Missourians with Medicare and their families. Meetings will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday, November 18, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Library Center, Conference Rooms A, B, and C, 4653 South Campbell Avenue, Springfield. More information will follow about the meetings.
The Medicare Part D enrollment period for the 2012 plans is October 15, 2011 - December 7, 2011. Seniors may switch plans without penalty until December 7, 2011.
If this information does not apply to you, but you have family members this does apply to, please pass this important information on to them.
Missouri Rx
Also, while prescription drug plans for seniors is our focus today, I hope you find the following information about the MoRx prescription drug plan helpful.MoRx is a State Pharmacy Assistance Program. It provides prescription drug assistance to Missourians in need by coordinating benefits with Medicare’s (Part D) Prescription Drug Program to lower costs for qualifying seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries.
Benefits of MoRx:
- MoRx works with all Medicare Part D plans.
- MoRx pays for 50% of your out-of-pocket costs on medications that are covered by your Medicare Part D plan. This means you will save 50% on your deductible, 50% on your co-pays, including during the coverage gap and beyond. MoRx does not pay for the Medicare Part D plan's monthly premium.
- MoRx uses the formulary of the Medicare Part D plan. Any drug covered by a member's Medicare Drug Plan will also be covered by MoRx.
- MoRx covers up to a 31-day supply for each prescription.
- You can use any Missouri pharmacy that works with your Part D plan. (MoRx does not cover mail order services).
Interim Office Hours
Interim office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Normal schedule will resume December 1, 2011. If you need to call me at home, my number is 417-887-3353.
I look forward to hearing from you. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Best wishes.
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