Final Evaluation Report: Best Practices for Enrolling Low-Income Beneficiaries into the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program

In 2006, optional coverage for outpatient prescription drugs (Medicare Part D) was added to the Medicare program, along with a low-income subsidy program to help beneficiaries with limited incomes pay for Part D out-of-pocket expenses. Mathematica’s study suggests the following best practices for enrolling these beneficiaries: use high-quality lists of leads to identify potential beneficiaries; identify and educate beneficiaries by reaching out to them through their daily activities; tailor messages to local markets and media; time community outreach to coincide with already planned activities; provide one-on-one assistance; use counselors that beneficiaries trust; and provide assistance in beneficiary’s primary language.